First Comes Hurt, Then Comes Love
by IAmRoxas
Summary: It's been two years since Shikamaru Nara's wife Temari died. Since then his life has been a delicate juggling act as he struggles to manage the tough task of being the advisor to the Hokage, a renowned Jonin, and a single father. He believed that he would never love again, but will his son's attachment to a kind-hearted teacher be the change of all that?
1. Foreword

Shikadai stared at the clock on the wall, watching the seconds slowly tick by. The droning of the teacher was far, far away, as his attention has lapsed nearly thirty minutes ago. _Why do we even have to learn history, anyway? What a drag_ , he thought with a yawn, glancing down from his seat at the lovely woman who was excitedly teaching, writing feverishly on the board now and then. It was a little-known fact that in addition to the basic ninja classes, the Ninja Academy required students to take other courses as well, history included. Shikadai didn't really see the point of focusing on the past, and so this was his least favorite class.

As the final bell rang, all the students leaped out of their seats and dashed out of the door. Shikadai, however, calmly rose from his seat and proceeded down the steps until he reached the door. He paused in the threshold, staring out with his hands in his pockets. It was pouring outside, and so the students' mothers and fathers had come to greet their children with umbrellas. However, Shikadai's father was nowhere to be seen. _What a drag_ , he thought sadly as he went to step into the rain.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from _Naruto._ These rights belong exclusively to Masashi Kishimoto.


	2. Chapter 1: The Historian

As the elated children scrambled over one another to escape the classroom, Ayumi busied herself with cleaning the blackboard, drawing the eraser over its surface to erase the chalk marks. She then took the erasers and banged them together over the trashcan, watching with satisfaction as white clak dust fluttered down into the receptacle. She stood back slightly, not eager to cover her blue dress in the chalky white dust. She remained silent as she worked, listening to the rhythmic drumming of the rain outside. As she replaced the erasers in their home on the chalkboard, she caught a glimpse of Shikadai standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets. As the child went to step out into the rain, she gasped, rushing over to grab him by the shoulders and hold him back.

"Shikadai! You can't go out like that! You'll catch a cold in this weather," she fretted with her eyebrows knit together in concern. The five-year-old glanced up at her with a surprised an embarrassed expression. The brunette woman glanced out of the front door and into the open yard, where the last remnants of the students were being led away by their parents. "Your father didn't come to get you?" she asked with a small sigh. It was a common occurrence; Shikamaru hardly ever showed up to pick his poor son up from school.

"No. It's okay though, Miss Ayumi. It's not that long of a walk," he replied. Ayumi shook her head insistently, reaching over to a small bin in the corner to remove an umbrella from it.

"Nonsense. As your teacher, I can't allow you to catch a cold on my watch," she mused as she unfolded the umbrella. "Besides, I'm sure he would like to know how you're doing in class. Shall we?" she smiled, holding a hand out expectantly for the young boy to take. Frowning in discomfort, Shikadai reached up to take the teacher's hand, and she securely wrapped her fingers around his own. They walked out of the building together into the yard, the grass squelching underneath their sandals as Ayumi led him past the large tree with the swing and out onto the dirt roads of the Hidden Leaf Village. "Where is your father, Shikadai?" the woman inquired.

"He's probably working in the Konoha Library," he responded. "He's always there, whenever he isn't working with Lord Naruto. He gets so absorbed in his work that he loses track of time." The young boy's voice was wistful, and Ayumi felt sorry for the young child.

"Well then, that's where I'll take you," she decided as they continued down the roads. Due to the inclement weather, there were very little citizens out and about, only the occasional person running down the streets on an important errand. The streets had been reduced to mud with the torrential downpour, and brown water splashed up Ayumi's and Shikadai's legs with every step they took. The young boy frowned with concern, spotted the growing stains on the pretty woman's dress. "Don't worry about it," she reassured him before he could fret. "I can easily clean this- but look at you, you're getting all dirty yourself!" Shikadai glanced down at his legs, which were now covered in mud. "Would you like me to carry you?"

"No way!" he cried indignantly, looking back up at her with a deep frown. "I'm going to be a ninja someday! A little mud won't bother me!" Ayumi giggled at his resolve.

"Sorry I asked," she laughed. "So Shikadai, if you're going to be a ninja someday, why don't you pay attention in my class?" she asked with her eyebrows raised. The young boy flinched, embarrassed to be caught red-handed.

"I just don't see the point in history," he admitted. "It's kind of a drag, you know? I mean, I don't get why it's important to know what all these dead guys did way back when." Shikadai expected the teacher to grow defensive and start lecturing him angrily, but he was surprised to find that she simply cocked her head to the side and pondered over his response.

"I suppose that's a reasonable answer," she decided after a moment of consideration. "You see, Shikadai, we study the past to learn from it," she explained, glancing down at the young boy. As his face descended into confusion, she smiled and continued, "For example, we can learn from our mistakes- that's why we study the Great Ninja Wars. We learn how to treat one another and live in peace, which is very important. In addition, it's important to know where we come from, which is why we study the founding of the village. If we know our past, we can design the future and make it beneficial for everyone. Most importantly, though, history exists to preserve our legacy. One day, the Hidden Leaf Village may not exist. The Land of Fire may not even exist! However, if we are preserved in history, then we will never be forgotten." Shikadai remained silent after the lengthy explanation, absorbing what the young woman had told him.

"I've never thought about it that way before," he said finally, looking up at her with wide blue eyes. "I guess history is pretty important."

"Yes, it is. You don't necessarily have to like it, though. It's not for everyone," Ayumi mused, pulling him around a corner. The rain had picked up, beating down on the umbrella, and she frowned with concern as the weather continued to worsen. A cold, harsh wind blew over them, ruffling Ayumi's dress and leaving the pair shivering with cold as they were drenched with the wind-slung rain. "Perhaps it's a better idea to find shelter for the time being," she suggested, leading him over to a small storefront. She folded her umbrella and propped it against the outer wall, then led the young boy inside. A small bell rang as they entered.

It was a pleasant little restaurant, with small tables arranged neatly throughout the room and a counter on the side for purchasing food and drinks. Loud noises echoed from the kitchen in the back, indicating the employees hard at work. Ayumi led the boy to the counter, putting a hand on her chin as she perused the menu. "Is there anything you would like?" she asked as she swept a dripping lock of her hair from her face.

"I don't have any money," the boy responded sadly.

"You don't need any money. I asked if you wanted something, not if you were going to buy something. I'll happily get you something, Shikadai," she smiled gently down at him. At this, the young boy brightened considerably, and happily picked out a hot drink. Ayumi ordered the same, and the two carried their steaming drinks over to a table and set them down. Shikadai climbed into the large chair, sitting on his knees as he held the ceramic cup and blew at the steam rising from the dark liquid. He took an experimental sip before recoiling, fanning his burnt tongue.

"That's so hot!" he exclaimed. Ayumi laughed at his reaction, continuing to blow on her own drink as she turned to watch the weather outside. Water streamed down the storefront window, making it seem as if they were sitting behind a large waterfall. The gentle drumming of the raindrops on the roof had a relaxing quality, and the pair of them sat in silence as they sipped at their drinks, simply enjoying the atmosphere. By the time they were consuming the last of their drinks, the gentle hum had faded and the window was spotted with leftover raindrops. Ayumi led the child outside to find that the rain had stopped completely.

"Well, would you look at that. That didn't take long, did it?" she smiled as he took her hand once more. She retrieved her umbrella from the storefront, swinging it by her side as they walked down the drying dirt street. More people were walking down the streets now, entering stores and pondering over food stalls as they enjoyed the sun streaming down from the clear, blue sky. The storm rolled away in the distance, covering the dense forests that surrounded the village in its unending rain. Fluffy white clouds had replaced the dark ones, drifting lazily across the sky.

They soon arrived at the Konoha Library, a large structure that hosted a massive collection of books on all subjects. Ayumi had visited the building many times before, having an avid curiosity and a deep-seated love for books and knowledge, but it never ceased to amaze her as she stared up at the giant building. The sky reflected in the rows of windows build into the side, eclipsing the shelves within. Ayumi led the young boy into the building, breathing deeply and enjoying the smell of old paper.

"He should be towards the back," Shikadai explained as he tugged on her arm, picking up his pace as he led her through the many shelves. Colorfully bound books called at Ayumi, and she squashed the urge to descend on them and pore over their knowledge. She was barely paying attention when Shikadai came to a stop and released her hand, tottering over to the man sitting at the table and dutifully studying the volumes of books flipped open around him. He seemed to be decoding some important document, muttering under his breath and scribbling on the papers. "Dad!" Shikadai cried as he ran over to him, and the man jumped in response, thoroughly surprised by the boy's sudden appearance.

"Shikadai? Oh, no. Is it really that late?" Shikamaru frowned as he glanced up from the paper to look at his son, who had climbed into the chair beside him. Shikadai looked just like him, Ayumi thought, with the dark hair pulled into a ponytail and the disinterested expression. Shikamaru's eyes, however, were dark, not blue like Shikadai's. _He must have his mother's eyes,_ she thought. _Where is his mother?_ Ayumi then jumped when the man's eyes landed on her, assessing her.

"H-Hello," she squeaked and bowed slightly. "I'm Ayumi Tachibana, Shikadai's history teacher. I decided to walk him home today because of the weather," she stammered, embarrassed by the man's intense gaze. He regarded her silently for a moment, then stood and walked around the table to stand in front of her, hands in pockets.

"I'm Shikamaru Nara. Thank you for bringing him," he replied, bowing in return. It was quite intimidating to have the man standing in front of her, as he was quite tall compared to herself, and the woman had to look up at him. She didn't have the heart to tell him that she knew exactly who he was, as she had attended school for a time with all of the Konoha Twelve. Not that they remembered her, as she had given up being a ninja very early on.

"It was no trouble at all! I've been meaning to meet you, anyway. I understand that you a very busy man. I'm not interrupting something important, am I?" she answered shyly, glancing around him at the stack of volumes and the half-decoded document. Shikadai had confiscated a piece of paper and was busy doodling on it, his tongue stuck out in concentration. Shikamaru waved a hand dismissively, then gestured with his head for her to walk with him. Before she could respond he began walking through the shelves, and she hurried to keep up with him.

"Is Shikadai in trouble, or something?" he asked her once they had gotten out of earshot.

"Oh, no! Not at all. In fact, he's very well-behaved. A very short attention span, but not disruptive," she explained quickly, waving her hand emphatically. "It's just that I have met with all my other students' parents, and I thought it only right to introduce myself," she explained, bowing once more. "I'm sure you're very busy and I don't want to be a bother. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Nara."

"Shikamaru is fine," he answered awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. The two stood there uncomfortably for another few moments before Ayumi excused herself and quickly left the library. Shikamaru returned to his seat at the table, plopping down with a sigh as he held up the document. His eyes migrated to the window, watching as Ayumi scurried out of the building and continued down the street.

"She's pretty, isn't she dad?" Shikadai commented as he finished up his drawing. He held it up proudly for his father to see. Shikamaru blushed, looking away from the window hastily.

"I wasn't paying that much attention," he mumbled. Shikadai smirked and flipped the paper over to attempt another sketch. It wasn't often his father lied, but Shikadai knew that he wasn't telling the truth this time. He had been staring intently at Ayumi as she left.


	3. Chapter 2: Ayumi's Ninja Way

Shikadai's bored gaze slid from the chalkboard from the window, Ayumi's lecture phasing out of focus as he watched the wind shake the leaves of the tree planted outside. Ever since she had walked him home on the rain, he had tried to pay better attention to her lectures, but he simply could not will himself to find interest in the subject. Ayumi had a large map of the continent taped to the blackboard, and was gesturing to it emphatically as she continued to lecture, but Shikadai was completely unsure of what she was talking about. He glanced away from the window as he heard giggles floating up from the row in front of him.

It was Boruto, bent over something in front of him. Shikdai leaned forward in an attempt to discover what was so funny, then frowned in disappointment when he discovered that the blonde-haired boy was constructing a paper airplane. As he folded the last wing, he held up his work proudly for Sarada to see. She sniffed in disinterest and returned her attention to the lecture, much to the boy's disappointment. While Ayumi's back was turned, Boruto snickered and stood to launch the projectile at the back of the unsuspecting teacher's head. As the room lapsed into a tense silence, the children holding in their giggles as the paper airplane sailed across through the air, Shikadai's mouth opened to warn the woman.

Suddenly, Ayumi whipped around and plucked the paper airplane right out of the air, causing the entire room to release a collective gasp.

"Boruto," she huffed as she crumpled the small craft in her fist, glaring at the young boy and placing her hands on her hips. The blonde boy flinched, still standing from when he had launched the craft, and hastily flopped down into his seat. "If you're going to make a paper airplane and attempt to catch me by surprise, at least make one that isn't excessively noisy when it flies. I could have heard it coming a mile away," she snorted, dropping the crumbled aircraft into the trashcan. The class exploded into laughter, and the embarrassed boy sunk low into his seat. Shikadai smirked slightly.

"Man, teach… You aren't a ninja, but you're still scary," he mumbled, avoiding the angry teacher's gaze. Ayumi sniffed haughtily, offended by his remark.

"What's _scary,_ Boruto, is that you lack basic geography because you're too busy goofing off in my class. You don't know the Hokage Rock from The Land of Stone!" she scolded, and the rest of the class erupted into laughter once more. Boruto sunk even lower in his seat, mumbling angrily under his breath. Ayumi leaned forward, cupping a hand to her ear as she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Excuse me? What was that?" she asked with her voice level. Boruto jumped in fright as she gave him a death stare.

"I said I'll study, okay?" he squeaked, and the teacher smirked in satisfaction, straightening up and crossing her arms.

"Good. You'd better, because I _will_ be quizzing you all on this tomorrow," she huffed, slapping a hand on the map. The children released a collective groan. Ayumi simply turned her back and began cleaning off the writing on the board, announcing, "Class dismissed!" The students jumped out of their seats and took off with excited squeals, stampeding out of the doorway. A few of the boys teased Boruto for his tomfoolery as they walked out, much to the blonde boy's chagrin, and he gave them choice words as he stomped out of the exit after them. Shikadai walked calmly down the steps, in no hurry at all, and walked over to Ayumi's desk.

"Miss Ayumi?" he called over the edge of the desk, causing the women to turn with raised eyebrows. They rose even higher as the young boy slid a parcel onto her desk, and she dropped the board eraser to pick it up and examine it. It was crudely wrapped in paper, with a large amount of tape securing it. _He must have wrapped it himself,_ she thought in amusement, opening a drawer to retrieve a pair of scissors.

"What brought this on?" she asked in curiosity as she proceeded to cut the package open. She carefully unwrapped it to reveal a large book, bound in rich purple leather with no title engraved on the front. She flipped it open the reveal a brilliantly illustrated history book, with exquisitely hand-drawn maps of many regions of the world. Ayumi's eyes widened with surprise, and she looked at the young boy in shock.

"I saw how excited you were in the library, and so I figured you must really like books, Miss Ayumi," Shikadai explained, a pleased smile on his face. "I saw this book and thought you would really like it!"

"I do. Wherever did you get it?" she inquired, a happy smile appearing as her face as she traced a finger over the inked words. She did not notice Shikadai's highly uncomfortable expression.

"Uh… It's a secret," he replied with a cheeky smile, causing the teacher to chuckle softly. She sat down in her chair and flipped through the maps, her eyes absorbing every detail. Shikadai watched her, extremely happy that the teacher was enjoying his present so much. She suddenly flipped the book closed, a small gasp escaping her lips.

"Shikadai! Has your father not come for you yet?" she cried, straightening up in the chair to glance out the window. The yard was empty. Shikadai simply shrugged when she glanced back at him, a small frown on his face.

"No. I don't want to go to the library today, though. It's such a drag to sit in there and watch him work," he admitted with a sigh, resting his arms on the desk and plopping his head down on them. "He'll figure out I'm missing eventually, and come looking for me." Ayumi leaned back in her seat, a distressed expression carving deep lines into her young face. She then tucked the book under her arm and rose from her chair, holding out her hand expectantly for him to take. He did so with little hesitation, smiling as she led him out into the yard.

It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining brightly and a gentle breeze sweeping over the green grass. Shikadai giggled and swatted at a butterfly as it fluttered past his face, freezing when it settled on his finger, wings slowly flapping as it rested on his extended finger. His other hand pulled excitedly at Ayumi's dress, his blue eyes wide with excitement. He gasped when the creature finally flew off, frowning in disappointment. He then ran over to the swing hanging from the large tree next to the Academy, plopping down on top of his. "Will you come push me?" he called.

Ayumi set the book down at the base of the tree and smiled, walking up behind the child to push him on the swings. She found her mind wandering, and she stared up at the blue sky as random thoughts filled her mind. Her mind settled on Shikadai's mother, and the fact that she had never met the woman before, or laid eyes on her, in fact. She glanced down at the happy child, wondering what the situation possibly could be, but she did not want to risk upsetting him by bringing up the fact.

"Why don't I take you home, Shikadai?" she suggested after a while. She stepped back from the swing, allowing Shikadai to finish his momentum before it finally slowed enough for him to hop off of the swing. He placed his hands in his pockets, not looking at her.

"Nah. No one's there," he answered finally, kicking at the grass with the toes of his shoes. "I don't have a key to get in, so…" he trailed off, and Ayumi didn't press the issue further, despite the fact that her curiosity had grown wilder. Perhaps the situation between Shikamaru and his wife was tense, like that of Sakura and her husband. Perhaps his wife wasn't in the picture at all. She glanced down at Shikadai, then smiled and reached out to gently rest it on his small shoulder.

"I have an idea. While we're waiting on your father, why don't you help me clean up inside?" she suggested. Shikadai brightened and nodded happily at the notion, dashing back into the building. Ayumi chuckled and retrieved her book before following after him. He was rummaging around her desk, attempting to organize papers, but cried out as they slipped off the side and fell into a disorganized mess on the wooden floor. He looked guiltily at Ayumi, but she simply crouched down to arrange the papers and return them to the desk. "Here's the answer key," she explained, pulling it out of a drawer on her desk. "Want to help me grade them?"

"Sure! I'm gonna give Boruto a failing grade!" he snickered, searching through the pile of papers to find his rival's assignment.

"Shikadai, you can't do that just because you don't like him," she laughed, crouching down beside him as he hopped into her chair.

"He's not very smart," he frowned at her.

"Don't say that!" she laughed, unable to scold him due to his seriousness. "Boruto is just very energetic, that's all. His father was like that when we were children, and look where his is now."

"You knew Lord Naruto?" Shikadai gasped.

"I knew your father as well. I attended the Academy with them when we were young, but I left. I decided that becoming a ninja wasn't the path in life I wanted to follow," she explained, using a red pen to mark incorrect answers on the students' papers. Shikadai helpfully pointed out the wrong answers, smiling at his own usefulness.

"Why did you decide to leave?" he inquired. "Do they remember you?"

"I'm not sure that they do. Your father doesn't. I was just a little older than you when I left," she continued. "I received basic ninja training- my father was a ninja, a highly respected Jonin. I ran away one day after class, because I had been scolded for refusing to participate in a fighting lesson. My father found me out in the woods, hiding under a bush and crying," she mused as she reminisced. "When he asked him why I had run away, I told him that I didn't want to be a ninja, because I didn't want to hurt anyone."

"Was he angry?" Shikadai asked quietly.

"No, not at all. He understood, and he let me leave the Academy. I already had a healthy curiosity fot history then, and it blossomed after that. I decided that I wanted to use my life to help others, by teaching them to better themselves. I suppose you can call that my ninja way," she laughed. Shikadai stared at her, impressed at the young woman's bold choice.

"Wow. You're a really nice person, Miss Ayumi," he smiled at her.

"You think so?" she chuckled. "Well, thank you, Shikadai. That makes me very happy," she smiled. It was in this moment that Ayumi and Shikadai heard a loud yelling come from the yard, and they both turned to find a very flustered Shikamaru storming into the building. Ayumi hurriedly hopped to her feet, her eyes narrowed in concern, as the man marched right up to the desk and snatched the beautiful book that Shikadai had given her off of the desk. He then grabbed his son by the ear, causing the boy to cry out in pain.

"I can't believe you!" the man scolded angrily, glaring down at the book. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, Shikadai?" he huffed, releasing his son's ear to allow him to answer. The boy remained grudgingly quiet, rubbing his red ear and glaring down at the ground. Ayumi looked between the two, immensely confused at the sudden altercation. Her eyes landed on the beautiful book, still clutched tightly in Shikamaru's hand.

 _What on Earth is going on here?_


	4. Chapter 3: A Good Father

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! If you have not noticed, I have edited Chapters One and Two. I have been experimenting with a new writing style, and this is why it has taken so long in updating because I have been rewriting fics. That being said, the storyline has not changed so it is not required you read the updated versions, but I recommend you do. I hope you enjoy the restyling, and I will be returning to weekly updates. Thank you all!

"Excuse me, Shikamaru," Ayumi said finally, stepping forward. The angry man glared down at her, causing her to flinch. She stood her ground, however, and shakily continued, "If I may ask, what has Shikadai done to make you so angry…?" He seemed as if he were going to yell at her a moment, then sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. He held the book out in front of her, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

" _This_ book happens to belong to the Konoha Library," he explained, shooting a sharp, accusing glare at Shikadai. The boy refused to comment, clasping his hands behind his back and kicking at the edge of a loose board in the floor. "It's a very rare and _expensive_ atlas and history of the continent, and I caught Shikadai poking around my office late last night. Apparently, he managed to sneak out with it, as it was discovered to be _missing_ this morning." Ayumi glanced down at the boy, shocked at such an accusation, but the obvious guilt on the young child's face told her everything. She crouched down in front of him, her expression troubled.

"Shikadai, did you take the book?" she asked softly. Avoiding her gaze, the young boy nodded. "Why?"

"I thought you might like it, Miss Ayumi," he answered, looking up at her. The corners of his blue eyes were filled with tears, and he hastily edged away from his father.

"Shikadai, I appreciate the thought, but taking the book from your father was wrong," she explained carefully. His bottom lip quivered, and she reached out to gently place a hand on the top of his head, smiling gently. "I'm sorry, but I can't take your present. Next time, why don't you just ask your father if he can buy you a book for me? I would gladly take it then."

"Even if it isn't that one?" he asked quietly, pointing at the leather-bound volume. Ayumi nodded firmly, and he sighed before walking over to his father and hugging his legs. "I'm sorry, Daddy," he mumbled into the man's knees. Ayumi watched as the man's anger instantly dissolved, and he reached down to rub his son's back comfortingly. A loving smile was on his face, and warmth in his eyes. _He may not be the perfect father, but… He's a good one,_ Ayumi decided, watching the pair with a small smile. When Shikamaru noticed her gazing at them, he coughed uncomfortably and straightened up, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Um… Thank you for looking after him," he told her. Shikadai glanced over his shoulder at her, still clutching onto his father's legs. "I keep troubling you, and I apologize," he added with an embarrassed sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No! It's no trouble at all. In fact, Shikadai was a big help to me while we were waiting," Ayumi replied happily, winking at the young child. He smiled up at her, then frowned as his stomach growled loudly. "Looks like somebody's hungry," the teacher chuckled.

"I want ramen!" the young boy proclaimed, then pointed at Ayumi. "Can Miss Ayumi come?" The woman began to politely refuse, but a glance from Shikamaru silenced her objections immediately. He reached down to take his son's hand; Shikadai was grinning with excitement, hopping from one foot to the other.

"After looking after him like you have, the least I can do is buy you a bowl of ramen," the man smiled at her. Ayumi blushed slightly. _He has a really nice smile,_ she thought dreamily, then mentally shoved the thought aside, bowing gratefully. She then proceeded to follow the pair out of the Academy and down the streets of the Hidden Leaf. He led her to a small ramen stand situated on the side of the road, and lifted the curtain as he walked inside. An elderly man with gray hair and a beaming smile greeted them as they walked in, smiling warmly to Shikadai as he Shikamaru lifted him onto one of the stools. Ayumi sat down beside Shikamaru, her mouth watering as the scent of freshly prepared ramen filled her nostrils. She stared up at the menu, contemplating on what to order.

"Everything seems so good," she frowned. "I have no idea what to get."

"You've never been to Ichiraku Ramen before, Ayumi?" Shikamaru frowned at her, and the woman shook her head. "That's a shame. Granted, I only started coming here often as I got closer to Naruto," he admitted.

"I'll just have what you're having, then," she decided. Shikamaru shrugged and ordered for the three of them, and before Ayumi knew it, the old man graciously plopped a bowl of steaming ramen down in front of her. It was luxuriously decorated, and smelled absolutely divine as Ayumi popped apart a pair of chopsticks and blew on the scorching-hot bowl of noodles. She then spooned a pile of the noodles into her mouth.

"Well? Did my recommendation pay off?" the ninja mused, and Ayumi nodded eagerly as she began inhaling the bowl of noodles. Within minutes she had the bowl in her hands, draining the broth before slamming it down on the counter.

"Wow! That's the best bowl of ramen I've ever had!" she exclaimed. Shikamaru laughed at her enthusiasm, and the old man gratefully thanked her repeatedly.

"You act just like Naruto. This is his favorite place in the entire world," Shikamaru chuckled, calmly eating the noodles. Shikadai was busy making a mess, splattering broth all over his face as he happily consumed the food. Ayumi was slightly embarrassed to be compared to the revered Hokage. Shikadai set his bowl down, looking full and content.

"Miss Ayumi says that she knew you when she was little!" he exclaimed to his father. Ayumi blushed slightly as the man glanced at her with raised eyebrows and asked, "Really?"

"I was in the Ninja Academy when I was young. I left far before the Genin exams, though. It's not surprising that you don't remember me; I was pretty average. I wasn't a young prodigy like Sasuke," she explained nervously.

"Or a clown like Naruto?" Shikamaru laughed. Ayumi was surprised that he regarded the revered ninja so casually, even deigning to insult him. _I suppose that's how it is when you're all great friends,_ she thought. Sometimes she wondered what her life would have been like had she chosen to stay in the Ninja Academy, but she always traveled back to her love of history, and she was pleased with her life choices.

The two continued to chat idly as they continued to eat ramen, and Ayumi thanked the ninja profusely when she realized that she had covered her meal. Soon the sun had sunk below the sky and the moon was shining down upon the Hidden Leaf, and a gentle breeze swept through the trees, gently rustling the leaves. Shikadai, fast asleep, suddenly slumped against his father, who had been so busy chatting with the teacher that he had not noticed the fact that his son had fallen asleep. "I guess that's my cue to leave," he chuckled, gathering the child in his arms. Shikadai murmured something incomprehensible as he wrapped his small arms around Shikamaru's neck, causing Ayumi to smile softly. "Would you like me to walk you home?" he asked suddenly.

"No, no!" she cried, then dropped her voice as Shikadai squirmed, his face distorting with discomfort. "You have to get Shikadai home. I can walk myself."

"No, I'll walk you. He's dead to the world," he insisted, and Ayumi dropped all resistance, recognizing him as a headstrong man who would get what he wanted. Embarrassed, she led him out of the ramen shop and began walking through the streets.

It was a beautiful night. The stars twinkled in the black night sky, and the full moon shone down upon the village, bathing the streets in soft white light. Streetlamps glowed alongside the streets, and despite the later hour there were still many people strolling throughout the village, running late-night errands or simply enjoying the evening. Many ninja greeted Shikamaru as he passed, and Ayumi was impressed at the high level of respect he received. She was almost ashamed to walk beside him, being such an unimportant individual herself.

"Your wife is a very lucky lady," she commented suddenly. She immediately regretted it when she saw Shikamaru's face contort in pain for a brief second before he hurriedly turned away, adjusting Shikadai's position in his arms as the boy slumped off to the side. A tense silence settled between them as they continued to walk down the dirt roads. The crowd had lessened now, as Ayumi lived on the outskirts of the village, away from the market district. Their shadows bobbed up and down, side by side as they passed beneath the glowing streetlamps. Ayumi felt guilt writhing around inside of her, and she held her tongue as the essential question rose from her throat: _What happened to your wife?_

Ayumi suddenly came to a stop beside her home, a small yet quaint structure with colorful flowerboxes in the windowsills and a charming atmosphere. She quietly bade Shikamaru goodnight, and he walked off down the street with Shikadai still clutched tightly in his arms. She hadn't been sure, but as he turned away she thought she had seen the glimmer of tears in his eyes. She sighed heavily before turning to unlock her door and step inside the house. She slipped out of her shoes and grabbed a framed photograph of a couple off the table in the hallway to gently kiss the glass, returning it to its resting place beside a blooming orchid flower. She wandered into the empty living room, removing the stack of half-graded papers from her bag and sitting down on the couch to finish her night's work. She ended up falling asleep there, the red pen still in her hand and her hair swept over her face.

Shikadai awoke as Shikamaru brought him into the house. The man set the sleepy child down, removing his shoes as Shikadai rubbed his eyes sleepily and glanced around incomprehensibly.

"Where's Miss Ayumi?" he yawned as Shikamaru slipped out of his own shoes.

"I walked her home. You were asleep, and we didn't want to wake you," the man explained quietly. Shikadai blinked at his father's distanced expression; the man was staring at the framed photo of a blonde woman on the hallway table. She was holding Shikadai, just a bundled baby at the time.

"Daddy? Are you missing Mommy again?" he asked tiredly. Shikamaru sighed heavily and nodded, so Shikadai hugged his father's legs, burying his face into his thigh. "I miss her too," he agreed, his voice muffled by the thick fabric of the ninja's pants. Shikamaru proceeded to pick him up, wordlessly carrying him to his bedroom and settling him into bed. As he prepared to leave, the child reached out and tugged on the hem of his pants, causing him to look down. "Stay with me, Daddy?" he asked, staring up at him with blue eyes. Shikamaru sighed before stretching out beside him, resting his arms behind his head and closing his eyes.

"You haven't told Miss Ayumi about your mother?" he asked finally.

"No. She's never asked, and I don't want her to feel bad," the young child answered as he curled up in a ball, snuggling close to his father. Shikamaru reached out to wrap an arm around him, listening as Shikadai's breathing slowed as he drifted back to sleep. The man lay there for a long while, simply staring up at the wooden ceiling. Then, he proceeded to climb to his feet, cracking his neck and quietly closing the bedroom door behind him. He walked slowly down the hall into a larger bedroom, not bothering to turn on the light as he prepared for bed. He paused to stare out the window, staring intently up at the glittering stars, before sighing deeply and climbing into an empty bed.


	5. Chapter 4: Ayumi's Little Helper

Ayumi inspected the piece of fruit intensely, turning it in her hands slowly as she squeezed the soft, yellow skin. She glanced at the storeowner, who was busy with another customer, before sinking her teeth into it. As the storeowner turned around, she laughed nervously and hurriedly removed the fruit from her mouth, hiding it behind her back and extending her hand to place a handful of coins into his hand.

"I'll take five," she smiled, and the man placed five of the succulent fruits into a paper bag. She took it gratefully and continued down the busy street. It was a beautiful day, with a comfortingly warm sun and a gently flowing breeze. Many individuals were out and about, enjoying the market and haggling prices to stock up on the essentials and buy novelties. Ayumi was on her weekly grocery run, taking the opportunity to get errands done now that it was the weekend. She plodded along the dirt road, looking at all the patrons of the market. Ninjas were perusing weapons shops and enjoying leisure in the local restaurants, housewives were shopping for food, and children were running through the streets playing tag or angrily being dragged along by their parents. She paused when she heard a familiar voice calling her name from behind her, and she turned to find Shikadai waving excitedly at her, running down the street.

"Hi, Miss Ayumi!" he smiled adorably up at her. Ayumi crouched down with a happy grin, reaching out to affectionately place a hand on his head.

"Hello, Shikadai! Are you out here by yourself?" she inquired, peering over his small ponytail to look for his father. He nodded his head, still beaming.

"Mhmm! He's busy at the library, so I was playing with Inojin and Chocho. I got bored, though, so I was on my way home when I saw you!" he explained, peering into the paper bag. "Are you shopping, Miss Ayumi?" she nodded in response, plucking a fruit from the bag for him to eat. He clutched it in his small hands, nibbling at it gratefully. He looked up at her, a piece of fruit stuck to his chin. "Can I help? I really don't want to go home," he asked.

"Of course you can," she consented, chuckling as she wiped the fruit from his face. He continued to beam cutely at her as he nibbled at the fruit, clearly pleased. She stood back up and he immediately took her hand, plodding along beside her as they continued along the street. He looked around at the market with great interest, pointing at the various food items contained in the stalls. Soon the pair of them had their arms stuffed with papers bags full of an assortment of articles. Shikadai was trying to seem stronger than he was, carrying so many bags that he had to lean backwards and take long strides to keep the bags balanced in his arms.

Ayumi led the small boy to her home on the outskirts, chatting amiably to him as she unlocked the front door. He ran into the house excitedly, nearing spilling the contents of the bags as his curiosity took over. He slipped out of his shoes, tongue sticking out as he balanced the bags and wandered into the kitchen. Standing on his tip-toes, he piled the bags onto the kitchen table before climbing onto a chair to plunder through them. She chuckled and placed the rest of the bags on the table, putting away the food while Shikadai attempted to help.

"Your house is nice, Miss Ayumi," he commented as he hopped down from the chair.

"You think so? Would you like a tour?" she offered, smiling softly as he eagerly agreed and ran into the living room. She followed him in, giggling as he flopped face-first on the couch to cuddle one of the cushions. "As you can see, this is the living room," she mused, gesturing for him to follow as she continued into the main hallway. She showed him the bathroom, in which he was disappointed to find that a lady's bathroom wasn't that different than a man's, and her bedroom, which was laden with ancient tomes and maps that completely eclipsed the floor. Shikadai wandered about the room, looking over the various articles with interest.

"What do you do with all these?" he inquired as he flipped open a large map of the continent. She walked over to retrieve the map, carefully folding it and returning it to its proper place.

"In addition to a historian, I'm also an archaeologist," she explained.

"What's that?" he blinked, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"I study ancient ruins and artifacts from long ago. Before the written record, there's an era of history we don't even know about!" she continued excitedly, her eyes brightening considerably. "Myths, legends, history! It's amazing what we don't know about our world," she sighed dreamily.

"Wow, Miss Ayumi! You're so smart!" he beamed, practically glowing with admiration. She laughed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her neck shyly.

"Oh, you're too much, Shikadai," she laughed, ushering the young boy out of the room and back into the living room. With no intention of leaving, he continued to poke around the home while Ayumi continued her business. To be honest, she enjoyed having the young boy around, as he brought liveliness into her otherwise lonely home. He asked her many questions about her life, and she answered them honestly and willingly until he wandered over to the hallway table and plucked the framed photograph off it.

"Miss Ayumi, are these your parents?" he asked innocently. He narrowed his eyes sadly as he noticed her flinch, her shoulders immediately growing stiff. She walked over to him, taking the photograph from his hands and gingerly replacing it to its spot on the table. She remained silent for a minute before smiling down at him.

"Would you like to help me garden, Shikadai?" she asked cheerfully, completely abandoning her aura of sadness. He blinked in confusion, but knew better than to push the issue further and nodded in agreement. Soon, he was following the woman outside with a handful of small gardening tools with a green, flowery apron wrapped around him, tucked into the pocket due to it being several sizes too big. Ayumi was wearing a yellow one with a sun on it, which he thought was quite charming and was slightly jealous that he couldn't wear it instead.

She led him to a flowerbed on the side of the house, blooming with colorful flowers. She sat down on her knees in front of it, and Shikadai hastily copied, his blue eyes wide with curiosity. "First, we need to pull the weeds," she explained gently, pointing to the dull-looking, thin plants sprouting from the rich soil. He frowned at her.

"But they just want to grow, too. Why do we have to pull them?" he cried, highly distraught. She laughed gently, looking back down at the small, struggling plants.

"Well, I suppose that's true, but if they live, then the flowers will die. Wouldn't you rather have the flowers?" Shikadai still looked disappointed, and so she gently uprooted the plant, careful not to damage the delicate roots. "We'll pull them up, and plant them somewhere else where they can grow peacefully. How's that?" she suggested and set the weed aside.

"Okay!" he cried, and busied himself pulling up the weeds. He meticulously copied her technique, gently scooping the soil from around the plant to reveal the roots. They soon had a decent pile of the grassy needle-like growths, much to Shikadai's pleasure. "What do we do next?" he asked, bouncing up and down on his legs.

"Well, we need to water the plants now," she smiled, taking the watering can full of tap water and pretending to struggle to lift it. "Oh, my, this is heavy. Would you help me, Shikadai?" she asked, feigning helplessness. The young boy puffed out his chest proudly, flexing his little arms before grabbing onto the handle of the watering can. He beamed as they sprinkled water onto the flowers, leaving little drops dripping from the green leaves and sparkling on the colorful petals. Shikadai hopped to his feet, pointing to the pile of weeds.

"Are we going to plant these now?" he asked excitedly.

"If that's what you would like to do!" Ayumi smiled in response, gathering up the weeds while Shikadai popped around the yard to find the perfect spot to plant the invasive plants. He decided that right next to the front door was his chosen area, and without objection she settled down once more to garden. He plopped down next to her and tucked his legs underneath him, blinking as Ayumi handed him a peculiar curved tool. "What's this?"

"This is a spade. We use this to scoop out the ground," she instructed, demonstrating with another spade. Shikadai stuck out his tongue in concentration as he copied her, exerting great effort in crudely scooping holes into the ground. Once they had enough to plant the weeds, Ayumi placed one in a hole, piling the earth loosely around it. "Like that, see?" she smiled. Shikadai attempted to replicate, frowning as the weed flopped over. "No, no, pile the dirt a little tighter," she smiled gently, packing the dirt thick enough to allow the weed to stand up straight. Shikadai attempted a second one, clapping happily when he succeeded. Working diligently, they continued to plant the weeds until they had a small settlement of weeds growing blissfully beside her front door.

"They look so happy!" he beamed with bright eyes.

"I'm glad," Ayumi laughed.

"You'll take good care of them, right?" he asked worriedly, his little eyebrows knit with worry as he looked up at her.

"But of course! You can always come and help me garden another time. We can add more weeds too, and make a nice little weed-bed," she mused, standing and brushing off her knees. Shikadai blushed in embarrassment as his tiny tummy growled, and he placed a hand on his stomach. "Hungry, Shikadai? I'll make you something to eat right quick," Ayumi offered, holding a hand out to him. He took it gratefully, allowing her to lead him into the kitchen. She fixed him a cold drink and a plate of sweets, and he swung his legs happily as he nibbled at the delectable treats.

"This was really fun," he commented to her. "Daddy is gone so much, and it gets boring just watching him work or playing all the time," he admitted sadly.

"Shikadai, you are always welcome here," Ayumi smiled gently, sitting in the kitchen chair next to him. "Whenever you'd like! I have tons of things for you to help me with!"

"I would really like that!" he beamed, shoving one last sweet into his mouth before hopping down in the chair.

"Where are you going?" she asked, straightening up as he drained the drink and set the glass down on the table.

"Daddy should be home soon, so I had better get there so he doesn't wonder where I am," he answered, and Ayumi cried out in surprise as he ran over to hug her. "Bye, Miss Ayumi! I'll see you at school tomorrow!" he chirped before running out of the house.

He walked quickly back to the central village, a skip in his step as he headed toward his own home. When he arrived, Shikamaru was sitting at the table, his eyes closed and his fingers arranged in the familiar thoughtful posed. As Shikadai trotted in, his dark eyes opened to rest on the child. Shikadai glanced down, realizing that he was still wearing the flowery apron and dirt covered his knees. "Hi, Daddy," he blushed in embarrassment.

"Where have you been, Shikadai?" his father inquired.

"I was with Miss Ayumi! I helped her carry her groceries, and I helped her garden!" he babbled happily, but his voice faded when his father sighed and closed his eyes once more.

"Shikadai… We need to talk."


	6. Chapter 5: The Misunderstanding

Shikadai frowned in confusion as his father beckoned for him to sit down at the table, and so the boy hesitantly walked over and clambered into the chair, sitting on his knees as he blinked innocently at the esteemed ninja.

"Am I in trouble, Daddy?" he asked nervously, afraid that his father was angry that he had been spending time with the kind teacher rather than him.

"No, Shikadai," his father responded, smiling gently and reaching forward to pull the chair closer. The young boy's back flopped against the wooden back of the chair, and he continued to stare in bewilderment at his father. "You aren't in any trouble. I just wanted to talk to you about Miss Ayumi, that's all." Shikadai brightened at this, as he was very eager to boast about the wonderful woman and the fun little adventures he had had with her.

"She's a very nice lady," he smiled, brushing a few loose dirt particles from the apron. He was slightly confused when the hint of a frown appeared in his father's expression. "What is it, Daddy?" he asked worriedly, leaning forward.

"I'm just concerned with how much time you've been spending with her, Shikadai," he admitted. Shikadai was extremely unprepared for such a notion, and he was unable to comprehend why his father would be worried at all. "I know very little about her, after all, and it's just a little nerve-wracking for her to be so interested in you." The young boy supposed that it made sense, and he sat back on his legs as he pondered the best way to answer.

"Why don't you just get to know her, Daddy?" he suggested happily. The idea of his father and his teacher becoming friends seemed like a tremendous idea, and he supposed that if that happened, his father would be around more often. Shikamaru didn't seem to agree, much to his disappointment; the ninja simply shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to relate his concerns to the five-year-old boy.

"Shikadai, it's not that simple. I'm a very busy man. I think I'm going to start having you go home with Inojin, and I'll pick you up at the flower shop," he murmured, half-deciding and half-ordering the boy. Shikadai's face flared red in anger, and he rose to the defense of his beloved teacher.

"Why? Miss Ayumi is just fine! She walks me to the library when you don't pick me up, and sometimes she gets me food and drinks. I only went to her house today because I saw that she was having a hard time carrying all those groceries! She doesn't have anybody to help her. She's all alone," he protested, tears forming in the corners of his bright blue eyes. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at his son.

"Alone?" he echoed.

"Mhmm. She has a framed picture that looks like her parents, but she got really, really sad when I asked about it. I think she lost them," he explained. Shikamaru sighed heavily, unsure if the sudden revelation was helping his son's cause. Ayumi seemed like a gentle woman, and he could detect no ill intent from her. Perhaps what it boiled down to was not that he was concerned Ayumi had ulterior motives, but was jealous of the close bond that had formed between her and his son, something that amplified the growing distance that he had with Shikadai. He looked down when Shikadai reached out with his small hands, taking Shikamaru's own and staring pleadingly up at him. "Please, Daddy. I really like Miss Ayumi, and I think you will too if you get to know her. She's a lot like Mommy."

Shikamaru wasn't sure why, but at the mention of his deceased wife- more importantly, Shikadai's comparison of her to the teacher- made him intensely angry.

"Don't say something like that. That woman can't replace your mother," Shikamaru snapped, ripping his hand away from the small child's and standing briskly from the chair. "It's decided. You're staying with Ino after school now- no exceptions," he growled. He paced the room furiously, the raging emotions inside him just serving to perpetuate the misguided anger at the woman Shikadai had grown so attached to.

"No!" Shikadai shouted, causing Shikamaru to whip around in shock. The boy jumped down from the chair, crossing his arms with a huff. "You aren't doing this because you're worried! You're just jealous!" he yelled accusingly. The fact that it was painfully true made Shikamaru all the angrier, and he suddenly raised his hand as if to strike him. This caught Shikadai by surprise. His father had never, ever deigned to hit him or even raise a hand to him. He squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the blow, but it did not come. He cracked one open to see his father standing over him, tears streaming down his face as he panted angrily.

"Go to your room," he hissed, spitting out the words. Shikadai hurried to do what he said without another word, fearing retribution if he pushed the issue further. He slammed the door behind him, diving into his bed and burying his face into his pillow as he cried bitterly. Down the hall, Shikamaru sank down the wall onto the floor, his head in his hands as the anger ebbed away to be replaced by regret. He leaned his head back against the wooden wall, exhaling deeply with his eyes closed.

He was officially one of the dumbest smart people on the planet. He wanted his son to be happy, and obviously, the teacher made him very much so, but something inside the man simply couldn't accept the possibility of the woman becoming a meaningful presence in his son's- and his own- life. Perhaps it had nothing to do with Shikadai at all, but Shikamaru was simply terrified of the possibility that he would move on. He couldn't deny the fact that the woman was attractive and notably intelligent. He glanced at the side table, where the framed picture of Temari was situated, and he stood up to gently lift it from its resting place. "What do I do?" his whispered, a few tears splashing onto the clear glass. The blonde woman simply smiled back at him, clutching a swaddled Shikadai in her arms. He received no answer, and with a sigh, he returned the frame to its rightful place.

Shikadai remained buried underneath the blanket for several hours, a burning and confused rage writhing inside him. He couldn't understand what had made his father angry enough to even think about hitting him, and why the man was so opposed to Miss Ayumi. Eventually the anger cooled into a dull sadness, and he finally withdrew his head from underneath the blankets to find that it had grown quite dark, and the sound of gently falling rain filled the silent bedroom. He slipped out of his bed to walk over to the window, peering out of the rain-splattered glass at the muddy road beyond. The house had fallen silent, and Shikadai wondered if his father had fallen asleep, or- the more likely option- left the house. He was in no mood to discover the answer, as he was unwilling to face his father quite yet. After a few more minutes of staring out into the rain, he suddenly raised the window and climbed onto the windowsill, dangling from the ledge before dropping onto the ground below.

He landed in a mud puddle with a splash, coating his legs with the brown, liquid substance. The rain was a gentle but steady pour, slightly warm with the summer heat. Too short to close the window behind him, Shikadai stomped down the dirt road and into the village, hoping that the rain would wash away all the confusing emotions of the night.

He wandered with his hands in his pockets, the dirt roads illuminated by the soft yellow glow of the streetlamps perched on either side of the road, between the many apartments and shops that were packed into the large village. Despite the later hour, there were still plenty of citizens roaming the wet streets, holding umbrellas over their heads as they walked along the storefronts. None of them gave Shikadai even a passing glance as he walked by them, seemingly oblivious to the dirty young child wandering aimlessly through the rain. He eventually arrived to Yamanaka Flowers, and stopped hesitantly in front of the glass door. Though it was nighttime, he saw Ino still toiling away inside, preparing to close up for the night. After a moment's hesitation, he walked up to the door and into the small building.

"We're closed!" called the blonde ninja's cheerful voice from the back of the store. Shikadai saw her head poke out from behind a large arrangement of flowers. "Oh, Shikadai, it's you!" she beamed, setting aside a small collection of flowers before approaching him. She instantly frowned, crouching down in front of him. "Did you walk in the rain all the way here? Look at you! You're covered in mud! And what's this?" she asked, pulling curiously at the apron. "Does your father know you're here?" she asked accusingly.

"Yes, I walked here. It felt nice. This is an apron. It belongs to Miss Ayumi. I wanted to get a flower for her to apologize for accidentally taking it home," he explained, carefully leaving out the part about his father being totally unaware that he had left. "I'm a big boy now! I can walk by myself!" he huffed, causing Ino to smile gently at him.

"Well, that's sweet of you. Couldn't it wait until tomorrow, though? It's late; I've already closed up shop," she frowned. The young boy pouted in disappointment, and she sighed and stood to peruse the various flowers she had for sale. "Since it's you, I suppose I can let you off the hook this time. Here, I'm sure she'll like this one," she smiled, placing a small potted daffodil in his eager hands. "Wait! You're not going anywhere!" she cried as he made to run off, and he was terrified that she intended to return him to his father. However, she simply walked to the back of the store to retrieve one of Inojin's raincoats. "Here you go. Now, go straight home. You can give that flower to Miss Ayumi at _school tomorrow,"_ she warned, and the young boy nodded in understanding before rushing out of the flower shop.

However, he did not return home. He still did not want to face his wrath-filled father, and so he continued to plod along the muddy streets until he reached the outskirts of town. There were less street lamps here, and he hurried along, frightened by the dark atmosphere. Cats hissed in the alleyways, and he became convinced that he was being watched as he ran feverishly down the street. The rain had picked up as well, with a cold wind the ripped through the rain coat and chilled him to his bones. Suddenly, he tripped and fell face-first into the street, and he sat up to find that he had broken the pot that daffodil had been in. The soil was already being washed away, and as he hurriedly scooped the helpless flower into his hands, he began to cry. The hopelessness and confusion had returned, and all he wanted was his father to come out of the shadows and tell him that he loved him, and forgave him, and give him a hug and take him home. He didn't, and so Shikadai stood with a sniffle, blood dribbling from his scraped knees.

Ayumi woke with a start when there came loud knocking at her door. A piece of paper fell from her forehead, having been stuck for a moment after she had fallen asleep grading papers. Hurriedly getting her bearings, she ran to the door and flung it open with a hasty apology on her tongue. The words died in her throat when she saw who was at the door.


	7. Chapter 6: The Resolution

Shikamaru awoke with a start as a heavy knocking sound echoed through the silent house. Rubbing his head and looking around sleepily, he slowly came into consciousness and realized that he had fallen asleep at his work desk. The digital clock, its numbers glowing a neon green, revealed that it was only a little past seven. Heat poured from the small desk lamp beside him, overheating from being on too long. The sound of rain pattering against the window reverberated through the wooden walls, and he supposed that the weather had lulled him to sleep. With a yawn, he rose from the office chair as the knocking came once more.

"I'm coming!" he called as he hurriedly walked up the hallway, wondering who could be visiting in such weather. As he opened the door, he was surprised to find Ino standing there underneath an umbrella, smiling cheerfully. "Ino," he blinked. "I wasn't expecting you. Do you need something?"

"Oh, no. I was just making sure that Shikadai got home safe since I was on my way home from the shop," she remarked casually. Shikamaru felt his heart stop, and he stepped forward into the threshold.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, voice rising. Ino's face fell into an expression of half-confusion and half-worry.

"Shikadai came by my shop about half an hour ago to get a flower for his teacher, something about apologizing for taking her gardening apron… You mean you didn't know?" she asked. Shikamaru ignored her, instead whipping around to stumble down the hall and throw open the door to his son's room. He found it empty, with water soaking the floor from where it had blown through the open window. He heard the rush of soft footsteps behind him as Ino, extremely concerned, ran in after him. "He snuck out?" she gasped.

"I have a good idea of where he might be. I just hope he made it there," Shikamaru frowned.

"Shikadai!" Ayumi cried, bustling the dripping wet boy into the house and quickly shutting the door behind him. "What are you doing out in this weather, and what are you doing _alone_ at this time of night?' she fretted, pushing him into the bathroom and grabbing a towel to hurriedly dry him off. The boy squirmed as she patted him down with the fluffy linen, holding the bedraggled flower above his head in the hopes it wouldn't get crushed.

"I came to give you this!" he cried between dabs at his face. As Ayumi removed the towel, he dropped his hands to show her the daffodil cupped in them, soil crumbling to the floor. "It was in a pot, but… I kinda broke it," he admitted shyly. He gasped as Ayumi suddenly wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, and he felt her start shaking. To his shock, the woman had begun to cry. "Do you not like it?" he asked guiltily.

"No, of course I do. It was just such a reckless thing to do, Shikadai! I can't believe your father would send you out in this, by yourself!" she cried, regaining her composure and pulling back. She frowned deeply when the young boy looked down remorsefully at the ground, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

"Well… Daddy doesn't know I left," he murmured faintly.

"What? Shikadai, you snuck out?" Ayumi cried incredulously. The boy flinched, not meeting her gaze. "Why on Earth would you do such a thing? Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to wander the village at night, let alone in the rain? What if you had gotten lost- or worse, _kidnapped_?" she scolded profusely. She stopped when she heard Shikadai sniffle, and he raised a soil-covered hand to rub his tear-filled eyes.

"I'm sorry, Miss Ayumi," he sniffed, struggling not to sob. "Daddy and I had a fight. I thought you would be happy to see me…" Ayumi remained silent for a moment, then sighed heavily and reached out to affectionately stroke the boy's head.

"I am happy to see you, because I'm happy you're safe," she smiled, standing up and gently pushing on his back to guide him back into the living room. "Now, let's get you a pot for that flower," she mused as she settled him down on the living room couch and walked over to a hallway closet that contained her gardening supplies. She brought over a small pot and a bag of soil, and together the pair potted the small daffodil. She carried it over to the windowsill above the kitchen sink and placed it beside alongside the small succulents growing there before boosting the child up so he could wash his hands. Outside, the weather continued to worsen. When his hands were finally clean, she carried him over to the couch and set him down, wrapping him in a thick blanket. Shikadai then sneezed loudly.

"I don't feel so good now," he frowned as he sniffled and pulled the blanket tightly around him, enjoying the cozy warmth.

"You've probably caught a cold walking all this way through the rain like that," Ayumi sighed, walking into the kitchen to fix him a warm drink. The young boy took it gratefully and sipped at the beverage while Ayumi sat down on the couch next to him. "Now… What did you and your father argue about?" she asked. Shikadai ignored the question for a long while, continuously sipping at the warm drink before he worked up the courage to tell her the truth.

"You," he muttered. The reply caught the young teacher by surprise, and she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Me?" she frowned. Shikadai nodded sadly and looked away.

"Mhmm. Daddy said he was worried about how much time I've been spending with you. I tried to make him understand that you're really nice and just want to be friends, but he got all weird about it!" he pouted, causing Ayumi to chuckle slightly.

"Well, he's just being a good father. Any parent should worry when another adult grows too close to their child. I suppose this is partially my fault," she frowned, jumping when Shikadai angrily shook his head.

"No way! It's not your fault Daddy is dumb and doesn't understand," he huffed and crossed his small arms. "Besides, he wasn't mad about that. He got really mad when I said you were like my mommy," he continued. Ayumi was struck silent with shock, unable to handle such a comparison. It was both gratifying and worrying that she would be compared to Shikadai's mother, of all people. Uncomfortable at the extended silence, Shikadai looked up at her worriedly. "You aren't going to get mad at me too, are you, Miss Ayumi?" he whispered.

"No. I'm not angry," the woman sighed, pulling the young boy into a hug. "I'm very happy to hear you say that, but your father is right, you know. I am not your mother, and you shouldn't see me in such a way. I'm your teacher… I can still be your friend, though- provided your father approves. Ultimately, he is the final decision-maker," she explained carefully. To her relief, the boy did not throw a tantrum, but surprisingly conceded.

"I know. He just acts like a big dummy sometimes because he misses Mommy so much," he sighed. Again, Ayumi found herself wondering what happened to remove Shikamaru's wife from the picture. The image was slowly becoming clearer the more time she spent with the broken family, and Ayumi was highly certain now that Shikadai's mother was no longer in the picture at all. It broke her heart to see the boy and his father suffer so much from the pain, and see them drive each other apart because of it. She glanced over the back of the couch as there came a loud knock at the door. "Stay here and keep warm," she instructed the boy as she rose from the couch and walked to the threshold. She pulled open the door and was not surprised at all to find Shikamaru, soaked to the bone from running through the pouring rain, standing in her doorway.

"Ayumi," he puffed, but she held up a hand before he could even speak.

"He's here. No get in here; you'll catch your death out here, ninja or not," she said firmly, stepping inside to let the confused man past. He walked past her, slipping out of his muddy shoes and walking into the living room, dripping water as he went. Ayumi came behind him, retrieving a towel and handing it to him while she mopped up the floor with the other.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Don't apologize to me. You have someone else to apologize to," she remarked casually. Blushing slightly in embarrassment, Shikamaru dried himself off as much as he could before sitting down on the couch beside Shikadai, still huddling in the blanket. An awkward silence pervaded the pair, and neither made eye contact.

"… Are you cold, Daddy?" the young boy asked finally and looked up at him. Without waiting for an answer, he stood up on the couch to drape half of the blanket over his father's head. Smiling weakly, Shikamaru pulled it around him with one arm, and his son closer with the other.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into his son's hair, closing his eyes. Shikadai wrapped his arms around Shikamaru's neck, burying his face into him.

"I'm sorry too, Daddy," the young boy echoed, his voice muffled by the fabric of the man's shirt. "It's okay if you're mad. I shouldn't have run away," he sighed.

"No, I'm not angry. You just scared me. I thought I lost you," Shikamaru whispered softly as he rubbed his son's back. As Ayumi watched the heartwarming scene from the kitchen, she could see his shoulders barely shaking.

"I'm not gonna leave, Daddy. I promise," Shikadai reassured as he hugged his father tightly. He then jumped back when Shikamaru sneezed loudly, and then began laughing. He was interrupted when he sneezed in turn, and then the both of them were laughing. Ayumi smiled softly as she gazed at them from the kitchen, pleased at the happy ending. She carried a steaming cup over to Shikamaru.

"Here. This should help," she smiled softly as he took the cup from her. She felt her heart skip a beat as he smiled back at her. She was once again reminded of just how handsome the man looked when he smiled, and she hurriedly backed away, struggling to control her pounding heartbeat. _Come on, Ayumi, don't get in such a tizzy over the father of one of your students! It's unprofessional!_ She scolded herself silently.

"Ayumi, wait," Shikamaru cried as she went to make a hasty exit. She reluctantly stopped in her tracks and turned, plastering a "good host smile" on her face.

"Yes? Do you need anything else?" she inquired, the corner of her mouth twitching as the man rose from his spot on the couch and walked over to stand in front of her.

"I need to apologize to you, too," he admitted awkwardly. Ayumi sighed, closing her eyes and nodding.

"Shikadai told me what you said. I'm not angry with you; actually, I think you were right," she explained, looking back up at him. He raised his eyebrows at her, caught off-guard at the surprising remark. He rubbed the back of his neck clumsily, looking down at the wooden flooring in embarrassment.

"S-Still, I was wrong to be so mistrustful of you," he continued, glancing over at the couch, where Shikadai had curled up in the blanket and drifted off to sleep. "You're really good with him."

"I guess I see a little of myself in him," she admitted quietly, and the man turned back to her with an expression of mild surprise. Jumping at the slip-up, she hastily bowed her head to him, unwilling to reveal any more about herself. "Anyway, I accept your apology. You both are welcome to stay here until the weather blows over, and the night if need be," she offered graciously before walking down the hall to disappear into her bedroom. Shikamaru watched her as she went, finding that he was captivated by her. He was struck by the sudden realization that he had to know more about her, everything about her; he was pulled out of the strange urge as Shikadai murmured something incomprehensible and rolled over on the couch, and with a heavy sigh he returned to the living room to lay down beside his son, staring up at the ceiling as the rain continued to pound the roof above.


	8. Chapter 7: Getting to Know Each Other

Shikadai rested his cheek in his hand as his other dutifully copied down little notes on Ayumi's lecture. He had been making a constant effort to pay more attention in her class, largely because he didn't want to disappoint her and fractionally because he knew that she had the means to catch him outside of class due to her growing friendship with his father. They really were interesting, now that he paid attention, and he was constantly impressed with just how much she knew about history and the world. Sometimes he pondered the notion that she may be as smart as his father, but he would never tell him that to his face, because everyone regarded Shikamaru as the smartest person in the village.

Shikadai jumped as the bells signaling the lunch period rang shrilly, bringing him out of his thoughts. Squealing happily, the children grabbed their lunches and vacated the building, spilling out onto the grass to chat and play and devour their lunches in the little time they had. Shikadai opened his bag and found that, to his dismay, he had forgotten his. Blushing slightly in embarrassment, he slunk out of the schoolroom and into the yard, plopping down by his best friends, Chocho and Inojin.

"Hey, Shikadai, I heard you and your daddy had a fight," Chocho commented as she stuffed her cheeks full with salty chips. Shikadai frowned and squirmed slightly under the blunt accusation.

"How did you hear about that?" he mumbled.

"My mom and dad were talking about it. I was supposed to be in bed, but I snuck out to get a snack and overheard," she boasted, impressed with her eavesdropping skills. "I heard you ran away to Miss Ayumi's, too!"

"Are your dad and Miss Ayumi dating?" Inojin inquired, nibbling at his sandwich. Shikadai blushed profusely and shook his head wildly.

"No, no, no! They are _not_ dating!" he cried insistently.

"Who's not dating?" Boruto asked, plopping down beside him. Obviously, the energetic boy had overheard the conversation and relished in the possibility of embarrassing Shikadai further, much to the young boy's annoyance.

"Shikadai's dad and Miss Ayumi," Inojin clarified. "They may or may not be."

"They're not!" Shikadai whined, crossing his arms angrily as his friends exploded into laughter. They seemed to enjoy his blatant discomfort, and he stood with a huff and stomped off to plop down on the swing attached to the large tree in the yard. He muttered under his breath, not noticing that someone had approached him.

"What's got you so angry, Shikadai?" Miss Ayumi laughed as she sat down in the grass beside him, tucking her dress beneath her legs. "Don't tell me that you've been fighting with Boruto again! You two bicker more than anything I've ever seen," she mused. Shikadai blushed slightly and shook his head.

"No, I'm not angry," he lied, wincing when the woman raised a knowing eyebrow at him. Thankfully, she let the matter drop and motioned to where his friends and Boruto where still discussing the prospect of whether his father was dating the teacher.

"Why aren't you eating with your friends?" she asked, and before he could answer, his stomach growled loudly. He wriggled in the swing, attempting to come up with a decent excuse. _I'm a ninja! I don't need food! … No, that won't work._ "Shikadai," the woman said gently, and he glanced sheepishly at her. "You forgot your food, didn't you?"

"… Yes," he admitted quietly. She reached up to ruffle his hair gently, laughing, before holding out a brown paper bag to him. "Isn't this yours? I can't take it, Miss Ayumi!" he exclaimed, pushing it back. The woman had no intention of backing down, however, and promptly plopped it into his lap.

"Nonsense, Shikadai. You're a growing boy! You need it more than I do," she smiled, and from her tone Shikadai knew that this was an argument that he was not going to win. Blushing under her gaze, he opened the bag and pulled out the bento box she had made for herself.

"At least let me share," he tried, but the woman shook her head once more and pulled out a book, leaning back against the tree to read. He noticed her checking out of the corner of her eye to see if he was actually eating, and with a resigned sigh he shoveled the food in his mouth. It was quite good, much better than his father's cooking, and after a minute or so he was eagerly devouring the meal. He heard Ayumi giggle beside him, but he was beyond all point of embarrassment. When he was finished, he shyly handed the bag back to her and bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you, Miss Ayumi," he smiled cutely.

"Anytime, Shikadai," she chuckled, and as the second bell rang, she took his hand and led him inside after the other children.

As Ayumi was cleaning off the blackboard, she was surprised when a shadow fell over the door. Glancing over her shoulder, she brightened when she saw who was standing there. "Oh, Shikamaru! You were able to make it today!" she cried, hastily brushing chalk dust from her hands and walking over to him, a slight spring in her step. Shikadai glanced up from his seat, where he had been grading papers for her, before packing up his things and running over to his father. "We were just about to head over to the library."

"I finished up a little early today," he smiled gently as Shikadai hugged his legs affectionately. "I thought I would save you a trip and just stop by." Shikadai continued to cuddle his legs until his father picked him up, and immediately the boy whispered something feverishly into his father's ear, glancing a few times at Ayumi. The woman stared in confusion, unsure just what her student was plotting and not feeling very good about it. She jumped when Shikamaru suddenly nodded and looked at her with an amused smirk. "Shikadai insists that we treat you to dinner," he mused.

"What? Why? I haven't done anything to deserve that!" she squeaked, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink.

"Well, for starters, you helped me and my son make up," he reminded her, and her shoulders fell slightly as she looked away in embarrassment. "Shikadai also told me what you did today," he added, and she gasped and put a hand to her chest in shock.

"That was supposed to be a secret!" she cried, pointing an accusing finger at the child. He giggled and threw his arms around his father's neck, leaning his head against him with a happy smile.

"You won't win, Miss Ayumi. Once Daddy decides something, it's almost impossible to change his mind!" he snickered. The teacher sighed heavily, knowing the statement to be very true. Resigned to her fate, she gathered her things and trudged after the father and son out of the school, her face red all the while. As they walked side-by-side down the street, she noticed people stopping to stare at them, or turn to their companions and whisper while glancing fervently at the odd pair. _People are starting to talk! Oh no! What if rumors start to spread? If my students catch wind, Shikadai and I will never hear the end of it,_ she thought glumly, trying to hide her face as much as possible as she continued to plod alongside the tall ninja. Shikamaru seemed unperturbed, carrying his son on his shoulders and chatting amiably with him as they walked to their destination. When they arrived, Ayumi planted her feet firmly into the ground, shaking her head.

"No way! This place is far too expensive!" she cried, flustered that Shikamaru had taken her to a famous- and notoriously expensive- high-end restaurant in the middle of town. There were more people around than ever, and she knew if she walked in with him, her fate would be sealed- they would be the talk of the town as the newest prospective couple. Besides, she certainly didn't want Shikamaru spending his hard-earned money on her. "I refuse!" she insisted, crossing her arms and glaring up at him.

"Pleeeeeeeaase, Miss Ayumi?" Shikadai begged, leaning back to stare pleadingly at her upside-down. Her resolve wavered at the large blue eyes staring hopefully at her, and she chewed the inside of her cheek as she mulled it over. Whenever she glanced up at Shikamaru, however, the deal was sealed; he was gazing warmly down at her, and she felt her heart flutter and her stomach twist into a nervous knot. Before she even knew what she was doing, she was nodding in resignation, and the boy squealed with glee as his father dropped him to the ground and allowed him to dash inside.

"Behave!" Shikamaru shouted after him, then opened the door for Ayumi. "After you," he mused, and Ayumi swooned as she walked by him. _Oh my word, was he always such a gentleman?_ she thought breathlessly, fanning her face slightly. Shikamaru walked behind her, thankfully too lost in his own thoughts to notice her reaction.

 _Was Ayumi always this cute?_

Ayumi fidgeted nervously as she sat at the table, unable to focus in such an atmosphere. It had certainly been a very long time since she had dined in a place such as this; in fact, she was highly certain it had been since she was a child. Many notable people of the village frequented this place, it seemed, as well as much of the upper class. She felt horribly underdressed, for one, and overwhelmingly undeserving of such a treat. "Ayumi," Shikamaru said suddenly, staring at her levelly from above his menu. She blushed slightly and muttered a timid, "Yes?" "Don't be nervous. Don't worry about anyone else. It's just us, okay?" he smiled gently. Ayumi instantly felt all her anxiety melt away as she gazed into his soft eyes, and she nodded robotically, trapped in his gaze. However, she made a fool of herself once the waiter came, as she had been so busy staring that she had neglected to decide what to get.

The rest of the night proceeded smoothly, and Ayumi actually enjoyed herself a great deal once she got over her nerves. She learned a great deal about Shikamaru that night, about his adventures as a Genin, his role in the Sasuke Retrieval Mission and the Great Ninja War, about his mentor Asuma and his team members Ino and Choji, and about his father. His accomplishments were impressive, but rather than be intimidated, Ayumi found it sad that he had lost so many people in his life though he was relatively young, and even though he hadn't explicitly stated it, she was sure that his wife was somewhere in the body count. She listened to all his stories, with Shikadai chiming in details he left out, and found that by the end she had revealed almost nothing about herself. She certainly didn't have nearly as much, leading a relatively uninteresting and unexciting life as a history enthusiast, and she wasn't sure that she was prepared to divulge everything to him just yet.

On the walk home, as Shikamaru watched his son skip ahead through the street and poke around at various things, Ayumi looked up at him and smiled, "I had a really great time with you tonight."

"Yeah. It was nice," he nodded sheepishly, a hint of a blush on his cheeks. "If you haven't guessed, I don't get out very much."

"You think I do? I think you underestimate the responsibility of a teacher!" Ayumi teased, nudging him with her elbow. They both began laughing, giggling like fools down the street as they enjoyed being happy. Shikamaru dropped her off at her home, and even hours later when she laid down to sleep, she could not bring herself to force the happy smile from her lips, and the feeling of fluttering butterflies around her heart.


	9. Chapter 8: A Glimpse at the Truth

Ayumi clapped her teaching textbook shut before announcing to the class, "You are all dismissed!" She watched her students file happily out of the school building, then stepped outside into the yard, wanting to get a little fresh air. As usual, many of the children's parents had arrived to pick them up, and many were mothers gossiping to each other about village events. As Ayumi wandered around the park, enjoying the sunlight and soft breeze and happy cries of her charges, she paused when she overhead two mothers talking to each other, their voices low so as the children would not overhear.

"Have you heard about the abductions recently? Women are being taken from farmsteads and small towns. Rumor has it that they're getting closer and closer to the village," one fretted. "Sometimes they take the children, too." Upon uttering the addition, she hugged her daughter close.

"Oh yes, I have heard. My husband works for the Hokage, and there are murmurings about Lord Seventh becoming involved! If these abductions get worse, they'll have to send out a team to deal with it," the other sighed, looking around nervously as if she were being watched.

"Apparently, it's some kind of organization. People are beginning to think that it has ties to the ninja that went rogue two years ago. They say that he's gathered followers, and is kidnapping these women and children to sell them on the black market!" the original speaker murmured, shuddering. "I remember that… Team after team they sent after that man, but almost all of them came back dead, and the ones that managed to make it to the hospital didn't survive. He was a master of poisons so potent that even Sakura couldn't find a cure until he was long gone. They even sent an elite team to find him, but they failed, too. They chased him all the way to the border with the Land of Wind, and that's where they lost him. He just vanished, without a trace."

"I don't know about all of that," the other woman sighed, not taking much stock in her friend's wild theory.

"Even if it is unrelated," she frowned as she gently stroked her daughter's hair, "it still doesn't change the fact that he's out there, plotting his revenge on the Leaf." Ayumi listened intently to the rumor, her eyes narrowed as she processed the information. She then just and let out a squeak when someone tugged lightly on her sleeve, and she glanced down to find Shikadai standing at her side, a note in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Miss Ayumi. Did I scare you?" he asked as she gently took the note from him.

"A little," she admittied. "I was just lost in thought," she sighed before reading over the note. It was nice, neat handwriting that she recognized undoubtedly as Shikamaru's: _Ayumi. I will be in meetings all day, so I won't get home until the evening. Please take Shikadai to Yamanaka Flowers and leave him in Ino's care. Thanks, Shikamaru._ Nodding as she folded up the note and tucked it into her back pocket, she then reached down to take the young boy's hand. "All right, then. Off to the flower shop we go! A good thing too- I've been meaning to see about planting some new flowers. Perhaps you can pick some out for me?" she suggested as she led him out the gate, and the boy nodded eagerly.

It was a short walk to Yamanaka Flowers, and as Ayumi opened the door, a tiny bell rang to signal their arrival. Shikadai immediately released her hand and began perusing the many colorful flowers for sale, eager to find the perfect ones for her garden. Ayumi chuckled as she watched him, turning when she heard footsteps approach.

"Ayumi! Shikamaru said that you would be coming," smiled the blonde-haired Ino. Ayumi had met her several times before, both concerning Inojin and gardening, and she enjoyed the woman's cheerful but determined demeanor. Inojin plodded along behind her, running over to Shikadai when he caught sight of him. Within a minute, he was assisting the boy in picking out flowers, and soon they were arguing about which color would look best in the yard. "He's really taken to you, hasn't he?" Ino chuckled as she watched the boys banter.

"Oh, yes. I'll admit, I'm pretty taken with _him._ He's a joy to have around," she laughed. The boys eventually settled on a compromise, and wandered to the back of the store in their quest to find the perfect flowers, leaving the pair of women alone at the front.

" _Shikamaru_ is pretty taken with you, too," Ino added, smiling coyly at her. Ayumi's cheeks turned a dark shade of pink, and to avoid looking at the flower-selling kunoichi, she busied herself with examining some carnations. "I'm being serious! He thinks quite highly of you. I haven't seen him so animated about someone since Temari," she frowned, then clamped her mouth shut, as if she said something wrong. She glanced down the aisle that Shikadai had disappeared down, hoping that the boy hadn't overheard. She then breathed a sigh of relief. "Sorry," she apologized. "It's still a very sensitive subject with him. He doesn't remember much about her, and that bothers him." Ayumi remained silent as she gently stroked the soft flower petals of the roses. Finally, she turned to face Ino, her expression grim.

"Ino," she began cautiously. "What happened to Temari?" The blonde woman sighed heavily, sitting down in the chair next to the check-out counter. She patted another chair beside it, indicating for Ayumi to take a seat; reluctantly, the teacher did so.

"I'm not sure that it's my place to tell you," the kunoichi admitted, staring off into space. "Shikamaru doesn't like to talk about it, so I imagine he wouldn't tell you. However, I think it'll be good if you know. Maybe you can help him finally move past it. Choji and I have tried everything." She leaned back in the chair and clasped her hands neatly in her lap. "What do you know about the incident two years ago?" she inquired.

"You mean the rogue ninja? I overheard two women talking about it just half an hour ago," Ayumi frowned as she recalled the brief conversation. "I just know that he was apparently bad business, and impossible to catch."

"That he was. He was a Jonin, a part of the interrogation division who had acquired an affinity for poisons. They often used them to force statements out of suspects, and he was quite good at what he did. He was quite young, only a Chunin during the last Great Ninja War, but had garnered quite a lot of attention and respect from his superiors after rising unexpectedly through the ranks." Ino paused for a moment as she searched her mind for the right wording. "Rumors began to spread about the rise of an underground organization of rogue ninjas who kidnapped women and sold them on the market. Several of these women were taken from the Hidden Leaf, and ninja teams were deployed all over to find these men and bring their leader to justice. Soon, an underling was caught and brought back to the Leaf for questioning. This man, the poison master, was to be the lead investigator. Next thing we knew, the other interrogators turned up dead, and both he and the suspect had disappeared." Ayumi's eyes widened slightly.

"How awful," she whispered.

"It gets worse," Ino responded grimly. "Teams were sent after him, with medical ninjas for precaution, but he completely annihilated team after team. Time was running out, and since the Anbu Black Ops were busy tracking down the rest of the cartel, Lord Naruto was forced to send out an elite team of Jonin. On that team was a medical ninja, as well as Shikamaru and Temari." Ayumi put a hand over her mouth as the pieces began to connect in her mind.

"Shikamaru didn't tell me what happened, so I can't say for sure how exactly it went down," Ino sighed. "I just know that he was the only one to make it out alive. He came back, carrying both Temari and the medical ninja's dead bodies, and was almost delirious with blood loss and dehydration. Luckily, the weapon he was struck with wasn't poisoned. He walked all the way from the border with the Land of Wind… He sent no word, and Naruto was close to sending a retrieval team when he suddenly showed up at the gate, silent as the grave." Ino fell silent after that and looked away, her body quaking as she recalled the terrible experience. Ayumi couldn't suppress the tears that leaked out of her eyes as she imagined the grisly scene, and her heart broke for Shikamaru. It was one thing to lose someone that you loved, but it was another to watch them die brutally in front of your eyes, then carry them all that way, constantly reminded of your failure to protect them. "So now you know," Ino breathed finally, glancing back at her with sad blue eyes.

"It's no wonder he won't talk about her," Ayumi nodded shakily, gripping her knees tightly. She hurriedly wiped her eyes as she heard footsteps, and she turned to see a dark-haired man holding both Inojin and Shikadai up by the backs of their collars. The boys were grinning stupidly, each holding an armful of seed packets.

"I caught them rummaging around the stores," the man, presumably Inojin's father Sai, frowned as he looked uncomfortably at his wife.

"We were looking for some flowers for Miss Ayumi! She asked me to!" Shikadai protested as he squirmed around in Sai's grasp.

"Shikadai said you like daffodils," Inojin added as he held out the seed packets for her. Ayumi chuckled softly and stood, squatting down to survey the boys' handiwork. They had certainly been up to some mischief in the back of the store, as they had acquired quite the assortment of flower seed packets as well as a smaller selection of flower bulbs, from daffodils to roses to carnations to lilies.

"Thank you, boys," she mused. Upon his wife's signal, Sai gently set the pair of hooligans down on the wooden shop floor, allowing them to step closer to their teacher. "Unfortunately, I don't need _all_ of them. Why don't you pick out the ones you like, and this weekend we'll plant them? Inojin, you're welcome to come too," she smiled brightly. They both nodded eagerly and plopped down right where they were standing to shuffle through the seeds and bulbs to determine which ones they liked the best. Ayumi straightened up, a mixture of feelings swirling in her stomach.

"You're quite good with children," Sai remarked. "It's no wonder you're a teacher. Have you ever thought of having some yourself?" Ayumi blushed brightly, and Ino gave her an embarrassed, apologetic glance.

"Oh, yes. I just haven't found the right person to settle down with," she laughed nervously. Sai nodded in understanding and then glanced down when the pair of boys jumped to their feet and shoved some flower packets and bulbs into Ayumi's hands.

"These!" they cried in unison. Smiling warmly, Ayumi glanced over the flower packets and nodded in approval.

"Yes, I think these will do quite nicely," she mused before fishing out her wallet to pay Ino. "Here, will this cover it?" she asked as she handed the woman a small stack of bills. Ino nodded and proceeded to give her change, and as Ayumi was stuffing the packets into her pocket, she heard the little bell ring to signal the arrival of a new customer. It just so happened that it was not a customer at all, but Shikamaru, arriving to pick up his son. Shikadai ran over to him with glee, climbing up into his arms.

"Dad! Miss Ayumi said me and Inojin can plant flowers this weekend! Can I, can I?" the little boy cried. Shikamaru chuckled and nodded in approval.

"That sounds fine to me," he agreed, and his eyes fell on the teacher. However, Ayumi was unable to meet his gaze, the tale of Temari's death still fresh in her mind. Somehow, she felt that she had betrayed him by learning of the tragedy through another, and she was unsure of how he would react if she knew. "Ayumi? Are you all right?" he frowned. She hastily bowed to the trio in farewell.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just remembered that I have a stack of quizzes to grade, and so I should be heading home now. Ino, it was nice talking to you, and Sai, it was nice to meet you," she responded as she hurriedly shuffled out the door, refusing to look Shikamaru in the eyes all the while. Ino frowned guiltily as she watched her go, and looked away as her friend cast an accusing glare on her.

"What did you tell her?" he asked warily.

"Only something that she needed to hear," the woman replied evasively. Shikamaru stared hard at her for a while, then dipped his head at Sai.

"Thanks for looking after him. I'm going now," he huffed brusquely before leaving the flower shop. Ino leaned her cheek in her hand, wondering if the decision she had made was correct, when Sai reached out to slip a hand into hers.

"I think you made the right decision," he smiled. "He might be a little angry now, but in time, I think he'll see it too. Ayumi deserved to know." Ino smiled weakly and entwined her fingers in his.

"Do you really think she's the one?" she asked worriedly as she glanced out the glass window.

"I don't know. All I know is that Shikamaru has changed since being around her. Isn't that proof enough that she's a good influence for him?" her husband responded. Ino nodded absently. Her mind was in another world, hoping beyond hope that her best friend was on the road to finding peace at last.


	10. Chapter 9: As The Storm Raged

Shikamaru awoke in a cold sweat, panting hard as the awful nightmare that had been so vivid moments before faded rapidly into a dense fog, and as he blinked awake he could no long remember what had frightened him so. He ran a hand wearily over his face, feeling the hard lines etched into his skin from years of stress and toil. His eyes gradually adjusted to the dank darkness of his room, and he became aware of the howling of wind and pounding of rain outside his window. He untangled himself from his bedsheets, which had become knotted around him from tossing and turning, before standing up and walking to the window. Water cascaded over the smooth glass as the storm raged on outside, and the village street became briefly illuminated as a bright flash of lightning split across the sky. Rolling thunder followed, so loud that Shikamaru felt the floorboards shake beneath his feet. The trees lining the road groaned and swayed in the wind, their leaves shaking violently as they were ripped away and carried off by the gale. The dirt roads were already overflowing with puddles. No doubt, there would be a flood of missions tomorrow concerning repairs from the storm.

Shikamaru turned when he heard the floorboards creak to find his son standing in the threshold of the doorway to his bedroom, clutching a small blanket with his hands and fresh tear stains in the corner of his bright blue eyes. Temari's eyes. Another flash of lightning and its accompanying boom of thunder shook the wooden home, and Shikadai screamed and ran over to his father to clutch onto his legs.

"Daddy, I'm so scared," he sobbed as he curled his fingers into the tight fabric of his father's pants. Shikamaru smiled weakly and bent down to slip his hands beneath his son's arms, lifting him up. Shikadai wrapped his arms tightly around his father's neck, burying his face into his chest. "It sounds like the sky is falling… The sky won't fall down, right, Daddy?"

"No, Shikadai," he soothed quietly and gently rubbed his son's back. "It's just a storm, that's all. It'll be over soon," he murmured, turning to stare back out the window. Unfortunately, the deluge only seemed to be getting worse by the minute. Resigning himself to the fact that his son was not going to get any sleep anytime soon, he carried him out of the bedroom and into the living room, settling in the large armchair with his legs laying over the side and Shikadai curled into his lap. There were several windows in the room, making it all the brighter when the lightning flashed across the dark, grey clouds, but somehow the thunder seemed slightly farther away, soothing the frightened young child enough to detach himself from his father's neck to sit up and rub his tearful eyes.

"Daddy, will you tell me a story?" he asked curiously as he maneuvered himself into the "criss-cross" sitting position. Shikamaru frowned slightly and rubbed his goatee in thought.

"What story do you want to hear?" the father inquired, glancing back down at the child with a small smile.

"Tell me how you and Mommy met," he asked quietly. Shikamaru felt his heart stop, and he stared uncomfortably at his son for a few moments. He should have known that it was coming; several times Shikadai had asked for the story, and always he had refused, as it was just too painful to talk about his deceased wife. However, the moment of fear passed, and strangely enough, Shikamaru felt compelled. Perhaps it was the stormy weather, or Shikadai's familiar big blue eyes, or something he simply couldn't put his finger on. Shikadai began to look slightly guilty for asking, but Shikamaru simply smiled and nodded in consent.

"It was a long time ago," he sighed, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling. Images, fragments of the past, seemed to dance over the wooden floorboards, and he could see Temari from their Genin years almost as clear as day. Her scruffy blonde hair, pulled back in four sections, the giant fan that was her weapon of choice, those clear blue eyes like the sky in the Land of Wind. He smiled ruefully as he continued. "We first met during the Chunin exams. I caught sight of her here and there during the first few rounds, but I didn't _really_ get to see her face-to-face until we fought in the final round," he mused. They were both so cocky back then.

"Was she strong?" Shikadai asked. He was leaning forward slightly, riveted at the possibility of learning about his mother.

"Oh, yes, very. She gave me a run for my money. I actually had to forfeit because I ran out of chakra, and I was _this_ close to beating her," he smirked, holding up his fingers to emphasize the point. Shikadai's mouth dropped open in shock; he never could have imagined his father losing to someone. "Her brothers were very strong, too."

"Uncle Gaara and Uncle Kankuro? I know Uncle Gaara is strong- he's the Kazekage! But is Uncle Kankuro that big of a deal? All he does is play with puppets," Shikadai frowned doubtfully, causing his father to laugh.

"Don't let him hear you say that, or he might just turn you into one," he teased. Shikadai giggled and threw his arms around his father's neck with a squeal.

"You wouldn't let him, would you, Daddy?" he mused, and Shikamaru shook his head and gently tugged at his son's little ponytail.

"'Course not. Now, where was I? Oh. Well, after the Chunin exams and the attack led by Orochimaru was foiled, your mother and her brothers returned to the Village Hidden in the Sand, and we started on the reconstruction effort. However, shortly thereafter, Sasuke went rogue," he recalled. The was Shikadai's favorite story, but he had never told him all of it.

"That's right! You, Lord Naruto, and Mrs. Kiba, Choji, and Neji all went after him!" Shikadai recalled. He then frowned. "You never finish that story, though. What happened?"

"Well, I was up against a really, really tough opponent- one of Orochimaru's experiments, a kunoichi who used a flute to cast genjutsu. She was just so tough. She almost got me… But your mother saved me," he smiled. "Sent her flying with that big, giant fan of hers." Shikadai gasped at the revelation, leaning back in awe. "Kiba and Lee were actually saved, too, by your uncles in the Sand."

"Wow! I never knew that!" he cried, hopping up and down in Shikamaru's lap. He then squeaked as a particularly loud clap of thunder rocked the house, and he clutched onto his father for comfort. Shikamaru glanced down at the small, baby blue blanket his son was clutching tightly with his fingers.

"Your mother made this for you when you were born," he murmured as he ran a finger over the soft fabric. Shikadai looked up slightly at his father's sad, sad expression. "She was so happy that day. She loved you so, so much," he whispered as tears formed in the corners of his eyes. Shikadai wordlessly wrapped his arms around his father, burying his face deep into him.

"Don't cry, Daddy. We might not be able to see her, but Mommy is still here. She would be sad to see you cry," Shikadai frowned. Shikamaru sighed and leaned down to kiss his son on the top of the head. It was amazing how wise Shikadai could be, even though he was only five- wise enough to put him to shame. He smiled into his son's dark hair.

"I know. Sometimes I just can't help it. I miss her a lot," he admitted sadly.

"Me too," Shikadai murmured sleepily. The rain had settled down in the time that Shikamaru had been recounting the tale of his first encounter with his late wife, fading into a gentle drumming. The thunder rolled in the distance now, and the lightning only flashed intermittently. Shikamaru continued to hold his son long after his breathing had eased into a deep, steady rhythm. He allowed his thoughts to travel, reminiscing in old missions and memories, until suddenly his thoughts landed on Ayumi. _She's all alone,_ Shikadai's words echoed in his mind, and he imagined her bent over a table grading papers and poring over maps while the thunderstorm raged outside, hardworking and determined. The vision turned darker, and suddenly her roof collapsed, and she was trapped… He shook his head to clear away the phantasm, squeezing his eyes shut. _Ayumi is tougher than that,_ he reminded himself. Still, it was concerning that the woman lived all by herself on the outskirts of town, especially considering the rumors floating around of the band of kidnappers encroaching upon the city. _I'll keep an eye out for her,_ he decided. He then recalled the previous day at Yamanaka Flowers, when Ayumi had rushed out without giving him a parting glance. He was certain that Ino told her the story of his wife's demise, but when he had learned it, he hadn't been angry. He was just sad. He was always sad, but the idea of Ayumi pitying him just made him sadder. He didn't want her _pity._ He was beginning to think that he wanted something else entirely.

Shikamaru didn't remember falling asleep, but he awoke in the familiar forest lands beyond the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It was raining, still, a thundering maelstrom that shook the very foundations of the earth beneath his feet. Bodies littered the area around him, and he was covered in scratches, having just narrowly escaped a twenty-to-one brawl. He ripped a kunai from his shoulder, feeling the hot red blood run thickly down his arm. His body, acting of its own accord, took off running, leaping through the trees as he dashed desperately towards some unknown horror. He found it soon enough. He came to a rest on the edge of a clearing, the green grass dyed red with blood.

It was a nightmare, one he knew well.

Facedown at his feet lay the body of a medical ninja. His blood had long since washed away and been soaked into the earth. His back was riddled with kunai and shuriken, flashing white as the lightning snaked across the sky. Shikamaru's eyes, however, was on the man in the center of the clearing, holding up a small body by the neck. Her form was illuminated by another flash of lightning. She was still holding a large fan, which had been ripped beyond repair from a hundred blades. One of her four ponytails had come loose, and swayed wildly in the harsh wind, but it was her eyes that scared him. Those clear blue eyes, glassed over as they stared lifelessly toward the heavens.

 _Temari,_ he thought numbly. With a thud, she crashed to the ground, unmoving, and dark, merciless eyes landed on him. The man was large, he could tell by the silhouette of his form against the night, but he was hidden by shadow.

"I could kill you," the man smirked. "That, however, would be too good for you… Better you suffer, suffer for all eternity with your failure!" Lightning flashed once more, and he was bathed in light for a breath moment. Hard green eyes. Pitch-black hair. A scar, stretching from his chin to his ear. Shikamaru would never forget that face. Screaming, Shikamaru whipped out a kunai knife and flung it at the large man, but he was too quick; he vanished there, disappearing into the darkness, leaving Shikamaru all alone. He stood there in the pouring rain, panting, staring hard at the still form in the lush green grass. He then took a step. The another. Then another, and another, until he landed on his hands and knees beside her. She somehow looked so beautiful, covered in scratches and rain, as he pulled her into his arms. Something broke in him, and he raised his face to the sky and wailed, clutching her body close to his chest. Salty tears blended with the fresh rain water as he sobbed, rocking back and forth as he cradled his beloved wife's body. Finally, when he had managed to regain some sense of himself, he bitterly looked down and closed her eyes. He then recoiled.

The dream was different now. It never ended this way. Shocked into lucidity, all Shikmaru could do was stare.

It was not Temari in his arms.

 _It was Ayumi._


	11. Chapter 10: Hearts on the Mend

Ayumi leaned her mouth into the palm of her hand as she frowned deeply, staring up at the blue, blue sky. There was no trace of the fierce thunderstorm that had raged relentlessly during the night; instead, the skies were mostly clear, with a few wispy remnants of the weather system just a few fluffy white clouds trailing lazily across the breeze. It was a rather beautiful day, in fact; the problem was, Ayumi was gazing up at it from the gaping hole in her living room ceiling.

A small section of the roof had collapsed as a result of the shingles coming loose, and the torrential rain had soaked the underlying insulation and sheetrock to the point that it swelled with water. Unable to contain the massive amount of weight, the bearings underneath had given way, spilling a good deal of the roof on her antique coffee table. Sheetrock dust littered the floor, and the fabric of her couch was damp with rainwater. The smell of mildew lingered in the air, making her screw up her nose in distaste.

"I suppose there's nothing for it," she sighed heavily and turned her back to the devastation. "I'll just have to go buy some lumber and fix it!" she decided with a determined grin. She marched over to the hallway closet to fetch her "focus mode" bandana, tying it tightly around her forehead after pulling her chestnut hair into a ponytail. She then pulled on a pair of rain boots and grabbed her wallet, humming cheerfully as she exited her damaged home. The ground was still soaked with the deluge, and the mud squelched under her boots as she crossed her lawn. She smiled at the little patch of weeds by her doorstep; she was sure that Shikadai would be delighted to find that his weed patch was growing nicely. He and Inojin were scheduled to come over and help her plant the seeds that they had chosen from Yamanaka Flowers, and she was determined to finish the repair job before that occurred. Resolute, she hurried toward the market.

As she walked briskly down the muddy streets, she realized that her home was not the only one to experience damage. Fences littered the side of the streets, having been dragged to the side of the road by an early patrol of ninja that morning. Flowerbeds were ripped up and tree branches snapped by the howling winds. Several other roofs had caved in, some worse than Ayumi's. Thankfully, she saw no one who experienced total loss, so she was at least happy that everyone had escaped the night relatively unscathed.

The market was bustling with activity as shoppers sought materials to replenish their damaged goods and repair their wrecked homes. Ayumi had to physically push herself through the crowd, apologizing profusely as she elbowed her way toward the lumberyard. As she got closer, the people thinned out enough for her to walk comfortably, but her bandana had ended up turned sideways and her hair was frazzled. She hurriedly straightened herself out proceeded to the entrance of the lumberyard, looking around with an unsure expression. _What kind of wood would I need?_ she thought, pondering the predicament. She jumped when a burly man approached her with a slight smirk.

"You lost, hun? The grocery is that way," he smirked and spat on the ground. Ayumi blinked and bowed politely to the muscular man.

"Oh, I'm not lost. I'm here to purchase some lumber!" she responded cheerfully.

"For what? A flowerbed?" he scoffed. _That's actually not a bad idea,_ she thought, then shook her head to clear away the idea. _Focus!_

"No, sir. You see, my roof caved in during the storm last night, so I need to buy some lumber to repair it!" she explained. The man blinked at her, then burst into a fit of laughter. It was roguish, a thundering laugh that shook his entire body.

"Hun, get lost. I only have time for real business," he sniffed when he finished, still sniggering. Ayumi's shoulders drooped sadly, and she turned to leave. She squeaked in fright as she bumped right into someone's chest. "Oh! I'm so sorry! Please forg- Oh!" she blushed and hurriedly cast her gaze to the sandy ground.

"Ayumi?" Shikamaru asked as he knitted his eyebrows together and leaned down to peer into her face. "You okay?"

"Y-yes!" she answered, slowly meeting his eyes. She flushed further, but did not break eye contact. Though Ino's tale had unnerved her that day, she regretted being so aloof, and she wanted to make an effort to keep up her friendship with the elite ninja.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" he asked as he leaned back and put a hand on his hip. "It's unusual for you to come this far out in the market," he frowned as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I came to get some lumber," she answered. "My roof has some damage, and I need to fix it." At this, the Jonin raised his eyebrows.

"Ayumi, you were going to try and fix it yourself?" he asked worriedly. When she nodded, he smiled with a soft chuckle and plopped a hand on the top of her head. "Go home," he smirked. "I'll be there with a repair team in about an hour. We'll get you roof fixed up in no time, okay? In exchange, I need you to babysit Shikadai and Inojin." Ayumi's heart swelled with gratitude, and she nodded eagerly.

"Thank you, Shikamaru. What would I do without you?" she beamed up at him. As she rushed out of the lumberyard, she wondered, _Really… What would I do?_

Within the hour, Shikamaru arrived with a carpenter and a handful of elite Jonin. Ayumi was astonished that she recognized all of them to be several of Naruto's closest friends, some of the fiercest fighters during the last Great Ninja War. When she opened her mouth to protest, Shikamaru simply raised a finger to his lips with a mischievous wink, then hopped up onto her roof. Flustered, all she could do was smile when a familiar squeal echoed through her garden.

"Miss Ayumi!" Shikadai cried as he dashed between the legs of one of the ninja. He fell to the ground with a thump, and rubbed his behind tenderly as he glared at the child. He looked feral, almost; he had purple face paint on his cheeks, scruffy brown hair, and teeth with fang-like canines. _He could only be Kiba Inuzuka, the renowned tracking ninja,_ she realized. She recognized him from her days at the Academy, and was amused to find that nothing had changed.

"Shikamaru! Control your brat!" he whined as he hopped to his feet and brushed off his pants with angry mumbles. He then jumped about two feet in the air when another ninja zipped to his side and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Relax, Kiba! We are in the prime of our youth!" he beamed happily. A dopey bowl cut, an unfashionable green jumpsuit, an energetic personality. _The one-and-only Rock Lee,_ she thought with a giggle. She looked down when the young boy clamped his arms around her knees with an ecstatic grin.

"Miss Ayumi! Are we going to plant the flowers today?" he beamed. Inojin came walking calmly up the path, looking around at the teacher's impressive arrangement of flowers and shrubs.

"Wow, Miss Ayumi. Mom would be proud," he remarked with a tiny smile. Instantly invigorated by the arrival of her young protégés, the young woman beamed happily down at them and motioned to the pile of gardening tools she had brought outside prior to the arrival of the ninja repair team.

"I have everything ready! When we're finished, why don't you help me make some tea for my heroes?" she smiled, smirking slightly as she regarded the team of ninja. Kiba's cheek turned a fair shade of pink and he rubbed the back of his neck shyly, while Lee howled with energy and leaped to the top of the roof. A second later he appeared, hanging upside-down by the gutter, to grab the bashful Kiba by his hood and fling him onto the roof. He landed with a crash, shaking the house.

"Don't cause _more_ damage!" she heard Shikamaru whine, and Ayumi giggled before guiding the two boys over to the gardening plot and tying an apron around herself. She outfitted the children with a pair of child-sized ones that she had purchased in anticipation for the event. Inojin poked at his, admiring the smiling sun illustration, while Shikadai was elated that his own featured a large dinosaur. He mimicked the extinct beast, holding up his arms and nibbling at Ayumi's shoulder. The three of them erupted into a fit of giggles at his antics, and delayed the start of the gardening by almost five minutes due the uncontrollable laughter.

Shikamaru watched the young woman patiently guide the children through the process, a hint of a smile on his lips as he gazed warmly down at her. He bristled when Lee clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"She is pretty, isn't she, Shikamaru?" he grinned with a thumbs-up. The shy ninja began to panic at his incessantly loud voice, and he hastily pushed him away from the edge of the roof.

"Not so loud, idiot!" he hissed. His cheeks were blazing red from embarrassment; he was mortified that he had been caught staring at the teacher. Of course, he could lie and say he was watching his son, but he knew he had been caught red-handed. Lee just laughed and began hammering away at the roof, sniggering to himself. Muttering under his breath, Shikamaru sighed heavily and began sawing at a piece of wood, trying to focus on the task at hand. However, his mind continuously strayed to the teacher, and he consistently thanked the gods that she had escaped the night unscathed. His dark vision returned to him, and he pushed the nightmare aside, shuddering at the unsettling thoughts.

They worked through the day, toiling under the blazing summer sun to the point that they cast aside their signature green ninja gear and worked only in their mesh undershirts. Sweat was pouring down his forehead as they all lay flat on their backs on the almost-repaired roof, taking a small break as they continued to bake on the extremely hot shingles. Kiba was mumbling and grumbling about bacon, while Lee was still flitting about between the, shouting his usual sermon about the "springtime of youth." Shikamaru was about to smack him when a pretty head popped up on the edge of the roof, a tray of drinks balanced precariously above her.

"Hello, everyone! I brought you tea!" she chirped as she climbed up off the ladder and hopped onto the shingles. She wobbled precariously, the tea glasses clinking on the tray, and instantly Shikamaru was on his feet. Instinctively, he grabbed her by the waist to steady her, and they both immediately flushed red. Shikamaru hastily retreated, coughing uncomfortably as he offered a hand to guide her through the small construction site. He glanced over his shoulder to see Lee and Kiba grinning like idiots, and when Ayumi wasn't looking, he lobbed pieces of wood and struck them in the forehead. They both flopped back onto the hot roof with a pair of thuds. "Wow, look at it! It looks brand-new!" Ayumi praised as he led her close enough to squat down and set the tray of tea down on a flat spot. Kiba, seemingly recovered, flopped into a sitting position as he snatched up his glass of tea and drained it instantly. With the begging eyes of a puppy, he held out his glass for more; chuckling softly, the host obliged gladly. "Thank you so much for doing this for me. I have to say, I was a little surprised when such esteemed ninja such as yourselves turned up to help little ol' me!"

"Well, Shikamaru asked it as a favor!" Lee explained. He was honest, almost too much so, it seemed, for when Ayumi looked up at the Hokage advisor he was flushed with embarrassment.

"Really? Shikamaru, you didn't have to go to such lengths for me! I mean, I can understand if you wold come, but bringing Kiba and Lee? It's too much," she frowned.

"Wait- you know who I am?" Kiba blurted, spitting out tea.

"Kiba! We are famous!" Lee exclaimed triumphantly as he threw an arm around his companion's shoulders. Ayumi laughed and shook her head.

"Well, yes, but I've known you two since before you were famous," she mused. When they blinked simultaneously in confusion at her, she smirked. "You see, I attended the Academy too, for a time. Lee graduated a year before I was supposed to, but I remember him being there, for a time. And Kiba, you were in my class. Always had your puppy with you, and you got up to quite a bit of trouble alongside Naruto, if I remember correctly," she explained. Kiba laughed and rubbed the back of his head like an unapologetic thief who had been caught.

"Yup, that's me! Wow, not to be rude or anything, I don't remember you," he admitted.

"Oh, oh! Is that why you have all that ninja gear in your backyard?" Lee cried and pointed emphatically over the edge of the roof. Frowning, Shikamaru crossed the uneven surface to investigate; sure enough, there was a wooden dummy set up in the back, covered in years' worth of scratches from shiruken and kunai. There were several of the sharp objects embedded in the ground, evidence of recent training.

"I still train. It's tough, you know, living out here by myself," she sighed as Shikamaru turned back to her. "Sure, it's safe in a ninja village, but there are still dangers for a woman. Drunk men are a particular problem," she huffed as she screwed up her nose in disgust. She then smiled cheerfully. "It's just reassuring to know how to defend myself, and besides, I'm teaching a bunch of young ninja. I can't let them show me up, now can I?" she laughed before standing up.

"I guess she has a point! Dang, Shikamaru, this lady is one tough customer! Don't go getting on her bad side," Kiba teased before hopping to his feet. "All right! Let's finish the roof, huh?"

"Yes!" Lee beamed as he threw his fist in the air. "For youuuuuuuth!" Ayumi couldn't help but laugh at the colorful characters that were working so hard to repair her roof. The fact that Shikamaru had gone such lengths for her made her feel all fuzzy inside, and she smiled shyly at him as he motioned to lead her back. Shikamaru was silent as he led Ayumi back to the edge of the roof, a supportive hand on the bottom of her elbow. As she grabbed onto the sides and stepped down a few of the rungs, she smiled shyly up at him.

"Thank you, Shikamaru," she whispered before disappearing down the ladder. Inojin and Shikadai hovered impatiently at the bottom, each holding handfuls of weeds. Smiling warmly, the teacher took each of their hands and guided them to the weed patch, watching approvingly as they added their find to the small collection of growths. Shikamaru's heart swelled as he watched her.

 _She'll make a wonderful mother one day,_ he thought. His heart then hammered in his chest, and he chased away the hopeful dreams of the future that hoped to cloud his mind. _No… I can't. Not again. I'll put her in danger,_ he thought miserably. As Lee called him impatiently from the shrinking hole, he turned his back on the heartwarming scene, his heart heavy as he trudged back with his hands in his pockets. It was all he could do not to look back and watch her, with her beautiful chestnut hair and soft brown eyes.

 _Temari… Why is this so hard?_


	12. Chapter 11: A Foolish Challenge

"All right, now, everyone!" Ayumi called as she clapped her hands together for her students' attention. They were gathered in front of the school, chattering excitedly to one another and completely ignoring their frazzled teacher. "Chocho! Stop chasing the butterfly and come here, please!" Ayumi groaned as the perpetually hungry girl went running off after a little yellow butterfly; she chased it across the green lawn, the grass tall from the recent rain, before returning to the group with a pouty expression. "No, no, Boruto and Shikadai, don't fight!" she cried as the yellow-haired boy ran by chasing poor Shikadai with a caterpillar. She plucked them up by the backs of their shirts, holding them aloft with an exasperated expression. "Think about that poor caterpillar, Boruto! You're probably scaring him half to death!" she scolded as she gently took it from his hands and set it down on the bark of the tree in the yard. When she dropped them, they both snorted and crossed their arms to turn their backs to one another. Good grief, when you look at them, it's impossible to tell that their fathers are the best of friends!

Eventually, Ayumi managed to get her children quiet enough for her to explain the change of pace. "Now, every one, as I explained last week, we will be taking a field trip to the Hokage Faces today. Please, be on your best behavior, and most importantly, stay together. No wandering off! Are we understood?"

"Yes, Miss Ayumi!" the small group of children chimed in unison, and the teacher smiled slightly in satisfaction. She corralled them onto the dirt streets, attempting to keep them together as they slowly picked their way to the Hokage's residence. This proved to be a mighty task indeed, for the children were easily distracted and rushed off in all directions in attempts to get closer looks at the various storefronts and the products they had for sale. Ayumi barely arrived in time to keep Chocho from pilfering a candy store, only to have to drop the girl and dash to the rescue of Sarada, who in her attempt to climb into a weapons booth nearly impaled herself when she knocked a rack of kunai off of the wall. Before the teacher could catch her breath, Inojin was making off with a small tank of turtles from the pet store, and she apologized profusely to the store owner while the quiet blonde boy watched the little reptiles swim around in the water. Somehow, she made it to the large building alive with all of her children in tow.

"Ayumi!" came a cheerful greeting from the entrance of the building. The exhausted woman glanced up to see a scruffy-haired girl waving in the middle of the double glass doors, smirking slightly. "I've been waiting. Lord Naruto is ready for you."

"Thank you, Mirai," Ayumi smiled weakly as the children cheered excitedly and charged into the building, nearly unbalancing the two women. Ayumi leaned heavily against the threshold to catch her breath while miserably watching her charges dash about the halls, squealing and touching everything they possibly could. Confused Jonin attempted to wrangle them in, only to be bombarded and overtaken by the young ninja-in-training.

"Man. Makes my job look easy," Mirai smirked as she clapped Ayumi on the shoulder and led her inside. "It's like having a dozen of Naruto!" the young girl laughed. Is he really that much of a handful? The teacher thought as she entered the building.

"Class! Enough!" she barked as her feet landed on the soft carpet flooring. Instantly, they all froze, dozens of round, innocent eyes staring up at her. Ayumi smoothed the creases in her dress, trying to look dignified in front of the several Jonin who were climbing to their feet, victims of the children's absurd energy. "I told you to be on your best behavior. Is this your best behavior?" she asked levelly. Guiltily, they looked down at the ground and pouted.

"No," chimed Boruto grumpily.

"I didn't think so. Now, Lord Naruto was very gracious to invite us into his home today, and all these very busy ninja have important jobs to do! You're all in here making a racket, and I'm sure they don't appreciate it!" she scolded, crossing her arms with a huff to make her disappointment clear.

"We're sorry, Miss Ayumi," they grumbled in unison. Ayumi smiled slightly and gathered her charges around her, patting them lightly on the heads.

"There, that's better. Now, let's get going so these men and women can get back to their jobs, hmm?" she smiled gently. They nodded and plodded alongside her obediently. Mirai whistled, impressed.

"Wow, you have to teach me that jutsu!" she mused and punched Ayumi lightly in the side of the arm. The teacher laughed, but rubbed the area of impact slightly; the young guard had quite the arm on her, and had unintentionally bruised the delicate woman.

Mirai led them to the roof of the building before bowing lightly to Ayumi and dashing off into the trees, off to patrol the area. Ayumi smiled as she walked onto the creamy white roof, raising a hand to her brow to shield her eyes from the blazing sunlight. It was comfortably warm, with puffy white clouds sailing across the sky as a breeze ruffled the trees surrounding the building. The leaves rustling was almost melodic, and she closed her eyes for a brief moment to savor the sound. Her brown eyes fluttered open again when she heard footsteps approaching.

"Nice to see you again, Ayumi," Shikamaru mused as he stopped in front of her. Ayumi blushed lightly and tucked a piece of her brown hair behind her ear, a nervous habit. Before she could say anything, however, the children began jumping at his legs, tugging on his sleeves and pulling at his shirt. Questions spilled from their mouths so rapidly that their words blurred together, and neither the teacher nor the elite Jonin could discern what any of them were asking.

"Children, children!" Ayumi laughed as she herded them away from Shikamaru. "You can ask questions later! We came here to learn about the history of the Hokage, remember?" she laughed as she settled them in the center of the roof. They plopped down into sitting positions, whispering excitedly to each other; Ayumi took her place, standing beside the small group of chattering children, and flushed when Shikamaru came to stand close beside her. "Thank you for setting this up for me," she whispered shyly to him.

"Oh, it was nothing. Naruto loves kids," he smirked back. Ayumi jumped as there was a sudden flash of smoke, and she stumbled back slightly in surprise. "Show-off," she heard Shikamaru mumble as his hand snapped to the small of her back to steady her. When she glanced up at him through her peripheral vision, he was grimacing at the fading cloud of smoke, but she thought she saw his eyes flash with happiness for a brief second. Ayumi returned her attention to the smoke, but in its place was now the Lord Hokage himself, his cloak billowing in the wind as he grinned stupidly at his audience. Elated, the children clapped and cheered- all except for Boruto, who just moped.

"Hiya, guys!" Naruto sniggered, obviously pleased at his flashy entrance. He then bowed slightly to Ayumi. "I'm honored to teach all of you today," he smiled brightly at her. He's like a child, but at the same time, he has the feel of a Hokage, she observed as she dipped her head at him. With a flourish, Naruto twirled on his feet to face the Hokage Rock and began lecturing about the founding of the village and the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Ayumi knew the story backwards and forwards, and so she found her attention lapsing, instead focusing on Shikamaru's fine features. The sharp jawline, the dark, intense eyes, the rigidness of his expression. _He's all business today… It's kinda… Attractive_ , she thought dreamily. She was nearly beside herself when she realized that Shikamaru still had his arm around her from when he stopped her stumble. _Oh, get it together, Ayumi!_

Ayumi's attention was not the only one fading. Shikadai fidgeted in his spot at the back of the crowd, the Hokage's word lapsing out of focus as he began looking around in boredom. He studied the Hokage Faces, all seven of them, and imagined what it would be like to have his face carved into the rough brown stone. He was so absorbed in his little fantasy that he didn't notice Boruto sneaking through the crowd until the yellow-haired boy popped up next to him and poked him in the shoulder.

"Eh? What now, Boruto?" he hissed grumpily.

"Let's blow this joint!" the Hokage's son grinned mischievously.

"And do what, exactly?" Shikadai rebuked hotly, crossing his arms. He was listening, however; whatever mischief Boruto was about to commit was probably much more interesting than listening to Naruto prattle on about the previous Hokage.

"I'm gonna climb the Hokage Faces!" Boruto snickered. Shikadai's mouth fell open in shock, and he glanced over his shoulder to see if Ayumi had caught on to their conversation. Her back was to them, her focus bent on the Hokage's history lesson, and thankfully his father was doing the same. He looked uneasily at Boruto, who was itching to make a run for it. "Are you in or not?" Boruto demanded impatiently.

"Ugh, fine!" Shikadai grumbled. He didn't want to look bad in front of his rival. Keeping a close eye on their teacher and the Hokage advisor, they slunk to the back of the roof, dropping down into one of the trees close by. Once they were in the clear, they dashed from branch to branch in a race to reach the towering rock wall first, glaring at one another as they rushed through the leaves. By the time they reached their destination, they were huffing and puffing. "I win!" Shikadai cried as he dropped to the ground.

"Nuh-uh! I win!" Boruto frowned as he stomped into the ground angrily. Shikadai actually wasn't quite sure who won, because they both arrived within milliseconds of each other, but he wasn't going to admit that to Boruto. They argued back and forth for a minute before giving up and deciding that they tied. "Well, if it's a tie, there has to be a tiebreaker," Boruto grinned as he looked up at the rock wall. Shikadai leaned his head back to stare up the massive rock face, his head spinning from vertigo. He was beginning to think that he had made a mistake. "What? You scared, Shikadai?" Boruto teased.

"Of course not!" Shikadai snapped at him. He slapped his hands together, closing his eyes as he focused his chakra into his feet. There was a small puff of air as the dirt was pushed away from his shoes, and he glared smugly at his rival. "Well then, are you ready?" he smirked. Boruto sneered back at him, getting into position.

"Ready when you are, slow poke!" he mused. "Ready… Go!" They sprang onto the rock face, racing up the wall side-by-side. Dust fell in their wake, sending pebbles clattering down to the place they had been only seconds before.

Shikadai gritted his teeth as he dashed over the uneven rock, bending his focus to keeping a constant, steady flow of chakra to his feet. Boruto began taunting him, sticking out his tongue at the boy as he began to creep ahead. No! I can't lose! Shikadai thought determinedly and tried to run faster. However, in his efforts to try and push himself, the flow of chakra to his feet gave a sudden burst and his foot slammed hard into the rock. His other foot slammed uselessly against the wall, slipping and sliding now that the flow was interrupted. Screaming, Shikadai grabbed onto a ledge right as his feet went out from under him. He dangled there, halfway up the rock face, while the world spun below.

"Boruto!" he wailed in fright, looking up at his comrade, who was still running. The young ninja skidded to a halt when he heard Shikadai's frightened cries, and he glanced down to see the boy dangling by a few fingers.

"I'm coming!" Boruto called down and went to run down. However, he too lost focus, and his feet slipped against the dusty rock surface. He fell forward, tumbling in the air, head over heels. He released a terrified scream, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for the end. Suddenly his entire body jarred, and his fall ceased. He felt a hand tighten around his own, and he peered up to see Shikadai clutching desperately onto him. "Don't let go!" Boruto whimpered.

"I… Won't!" Shikadai grunted as he gripped the boy's hand tightly. His other hand, clutching to the thin ledge of rock, began to shake uncontrollably. His little arm just couldn't take the weight. "I… I can't!" he cried as he fingers began to slip one by one. His feet scrabbled against the rock as he tried to regain his hold, but the bursts of chakra were too out of sync to stick to the rock. "I'm slipping!" he shrieked in terror. The boys both released bloodcurdling screams as Shikadai's fingers finally gave way, and they plummeted to the earth.

It was then that Ayumi came dashing out of the trees, slamming into the rock face and racing for the falling children. They slammed right into her chest, and the force of their impact send her skidding down the rock wall in a cloud of dust. She would have bent over backward if she had not poured chakra into her hand and slammed it against the rock wall, her fingers scraping against the rock to slowly bring her to a halt. Her other arm was wrapped securely around the sobbing children, clutching them both close to her chest.

"It's all right," she murmured softly. "I won't let you fall," she soothed. However, as she uttered the words, the entire wall trembled. The teacher glanced up to see a crack snaking its way up the mountainside, originating from the point where Shikadai had splintered the rock face. Like a bolt of lightning, it traveled up the rock face, ending with a resounding crack just below the carvings. There was a groaning sound as the mountain began to rumble, and to her horror Ayumi saw a giant boulder slowly tipping over to begin tumbling down the rock face. She glanced down, but she was still too far from the ground to risk jumping; if she tried to climb down, she would likely lose her grip, only having rudimentary chakra control and relegated to one hand while her other held the children. It was all she could do to climg to the rough rock while the boulder crashed against it, jarring her entire body. "I won't let you fall," she whispered as she curled around them and braced for impact.

It never came. A flash of yellow burst from the trees, and Ayumi glanced up to see Naruto standing protectively in front of her with a swirling ball of chakra in his hand.

"Rasengan!" he shouted as he slammed it into the boulder, and it exploded into a thousand pieces, raining pebbles down on them. The air shook with a thunderous crash as the remnants of the boulder fell to the ground. Breathing heavily, Ayumi chuckled, nearly delirious with sheer relief.

"Ayumi!" Shikamaru called from the ground. She peered down to see him standing just below her with Naruto's guard squad, including Mirai, gathered behind him. "It's all right now. Toss down the boys!" he commanded. Shikadai whimpered and shook his head, clutching onto her dress.

"No, I don't want to. I'm scared!" he sniffled.

"Shh, your daddy with catch you," she murmured back. "Don't be afraid. I told you I wouldn't let you fall. If you jump, I promise, they will catch you." Nodding reluctantly, Shikadai wriggled in her grasp to peer tearfully down to his father. He squeezed his eyes shut before slipping out of her arms, crying out in fear as he fell the short distance into Shikamaru's waiting arms. The Jonin held him for a moment, squeezing Shikadai tightly, before glancing up at Ayumi.

Boruto was trembling wildly in Ayumi's arms, his blue eyes wide with terror. Ayumi caressed his hair with her free hand soothingly.

"Don't worry, Boruto. Shikadai made it down safely. Look, your father is going to catch you," she whispered. Sure enough, not wanting to risk accidentally dislodging Ayumi from the mountain by trying to take Boruto there, he had hopped down from the rock and was waiting patiently for his son with his arms outstretched. Gulping, he eased out of her grip, dropping down into the air. Naruto caught him, taking him tightly into his chest. Boruto began to wail, burying his face into Naruto's orange jumpsuit. His mother came running, carrying his baby sister in her arms, and she tearfully cuddled him, both scolding him and cherishing him at the same time. It was then that Ayumi allowed herself to lose consciousness, and she slowly tipped backwards, falling to the earth.


	13. Chapter 12: A Turning Point

As Shikamaru held his trembling son, gently rubbing the young boy's back in an effort to soothe him, he was too relieved to be angry at him for his reckless stunt. After a minute of holding the boy, he gently unwrapped his arms from around his neck and set him down to check him over for any injuries. Shikadai sniffled miserably as his father looked him over, frantically trying to wipe his eyes in an effort to keep the tears from flowing. Shikamaru frowned when he looked at the boy's hand, which was covered in small scratches from where he had dangled from the rocky ledge. _It's thanks to Ayumi that this was all he suffered_ , he thought.

"Oh, no!" he heard one of the guards cry, and he glanced up to see Ayumi falling backward from the rough rocky face, seemingly unconscious. Before anyone could move, he had already sprung into action, dashing to the base of the wall just in time for the injured teacher to land securely in his arms. The force of her impact brought him down to one knee, jarring every muscle in his entire body and making him grit his teeth to keep from exclaiming in pain. It lasted only for a second, and when he brushed away the wind-swept strands of hair from the woman's face, she was already blinking awake and staring incomprehensibly up at him.

"Shikamaru?" she mumbled sleepily as she attempting to sit up in his arms. She gasped, falling limp once more. _She must have used up her chakra. She didn't have much to begin with; surely discharging all of it through her feet has nearly depleted her…_ he thought grimly. _This is bad._

"Don't try to move," he instructed quietly as he secured her in his arms, one beneath her legs and the other around her shoulders. _She's so light_ , he thought as he lifted her effortlessly, carrying her away from the wall. It was then that the rest of the children arrived, stumbling over each other as they shoved their way through the group of guards to catch a glimpse of their teacher. They clustered around Shikamaru's legs, pulling at his shirt and shouting. Shikadai and Boruto, now released from his father's grip, hung back with extremely guilty expressions on their faces.

"Miss Ayumi!" Chocho cried with tears in her eyes as Shikamaru crouched down to let the students see that their devoted teacher was relatively unharmed. "Are you all right?"

"Please don't die!" Sarada whimpered as she hovered beside the plump little girl. "You should go see my mom! She'll get you fixed up!" she added eagerly. A murmur of agreement swept through the anxious children, and Shikamaru huffed as he rose to his feet, repositioning the woman in his arms to make her more comfortable.

"That's an excellent idea," Ayumi smiled weakly. He could tell that she was in much pain; her smile, usually bright, was forced, and sweat was beading on her forehead. "Thank you all for being good while I was gone. You don't need to worry about me; I'll be just fine." She reached out to Chocho reassuringly, and Shikamaru saw that the ends of her fingertips were torn away, bleeding heavily from where she had scraped against the wall to prevent herself from falling when she caught Shikadai and Boruto. It shook violently as she patted the girl on the head. _She must be in so much pain_ , he thought miserably. "Wait here until your parents come for you, understand?" she instructed, and they all nodded vigorously as Shikamaru began walking. Naruto crossed in front of him, indicating for him to hang back for a moment.

"Take Shikadai and Boruto with you," he told Shikamaru with a grim expression, then smiled gently down at the exhausted woman. "You saved my son today. Thank you. I'll make sure all your students get home safely."

"You don't have to thank me, Lord Hokage," she answered humbly, flushing. "I was just doing my duty." She then grimaced in agony, turning to lean her head against Shikamaru's chest as she began breathing unsteadily. Naruto nodded to him and stepped aside, joining Hinata beside the frantic group of children.

"Boruto, Shikadai, come here," he called. Nervously, they approached the Jonin, both sets of sky blue eyes locked on the ailing Ayumi.

"Is she gonna be okay, Daddy?" Shikadai whimpered as his father began walking briskly down the path leading away from the giant stone wall. The two young boys trotted to keep up with the man's long stride; Shikamaru did not answer, for he honestly did not know. The woman had lapsed back into unconsciousness, but her fine features were screwed up in misery, and her hand clutched tightly to his shirt as she panted in her sleep. She had broken out in a cold sweat and was shivering in his arms.

"This is all my fault," Boruto sniffled as he began crying again. Shikadai frowned slightly, abandoning his disdain for his rival to place a hand reassuringly on his shoulder. Boruto whimpered and ceased his sobbing for the time being, while Shikamaru only sighed.

"You were both reckless," he admitted as he turned onto the village's main street. As he passed, the crowd parted for him, and murmurs swept through the crowd as they stared at the small teacher locked into his arms. "However, don't blame yourselves. You made a mistake, and mistakes happen. I'm sure Miss Ayumi doesn't blame you," he reassured gently. As he said them, Temari flashed into his mind, and his steps faltered for a brief second. _Mistakes happen… She doesn't blame you…_ His own words echoed in his mind. As Ayumi fidgeted in his grasp, groaning, he hastily picked up the pace to finish the short distance to Konoha Hospital. _Don't blame yourself…_ He thought blankly as he walked through the glass double doors into the hospital.

After Ayumi was admitted and placed into a hospital room with Shikamaru keeping careful watch while the two boys were being tended for their minor injuries, Sakura came bustling in, tying back her pink hair as she went.

"Sorry it took me so long. I was a little surprised to hear that you requested me specifically, Shikamaru," she mused as he walked to the side of the hospital bed where Ayumi was sleeping fitfully, her breathing labored. Shikamaru leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed as he stared levelly at the medical ninja.

"You're the best of the best," he shrugged nonchalantly. On the inside, he was a nervous wreck, his fingers twitching every few seconds as he watched Ayumi's condition grow worse and worse. Sakura chuckled lightly before looking down at her patient, her light expression replaced with one of full concentration. Seconds passed in silence, and nervously, Shikamaru asked, "She will be okay, won't she?"

"She used up a lot of her chakra, most of what she had," Sakura frowned as she placed her hands on the woman's middle. They began to glow softly with green light. "I must say, when I heard the story, I was amazed," she admitted, her hands traveling over Ayumi's body as she explored the woman's chakra network. "Ayumi does keep up her training, but it's Genin-level at best. To be able to boost her speed and climb up the wall, and then hang on for several minutes, is nothing short of amazing."

"Well, she does love her students," he frowned as he pulled up a chair and sat down, propping up his legs. "She got there before Naruto and I even thought about moving." Sakura chuckled, continuing to pour chakra into the unconscious teacher.

"She always did strike me as a strong-willed woman. Smart, too. Sarada likes her class a lot," she commented.

"Shikadai does too. He and Ayumi are inseparable now," he smirked lightly. Sakura glanced over her shoulder at him, studying him for a moment before returning to her work. They lapsed into silence, Shikamaru watching intently as Sakura worked her magic on Ayumi, before she finally retreated and retrieved a roll of bandages to wrap Ayumi's scraped fingers. She stepped back and glanced at Shikamaru with a small smile.

"She'll be just fine. She needs rest. She should stay here for the next day or so, just so we can keep an eye on her condition, but she's passed through the worst of it," she explained. Shikamaru nodded, staring hard at the sleeping woman in the hospital bed. She looked much better; color had returned to her face, and she was breathing normally now, peacefully. "… You've grown fond of her too, haven't you?" she smiled softly at him. He jerked upright, ripping his gaze away from the teacher to stare, mortified, at the medical ninja. As he tried to make up some excuse, she held up a hand. "Shikamaru, please. If there's anyone who understands love, it's me, so don't try and pull the wool over my eyes. It's obvious. What's holding you back?" she inquired, pulling up a chair to sit beside him. His excuses died in his throat, and he leaned back in the chair, staring glumly at the wall.

"… Temari," he answered, his voice barely above a whisper. Sakura's face fell, and she slowly reached out to place her hand on top of his own.

"Shikamaru," she sighed heavily. "Are you still blaming yourself? Surely you must have realized by now that there was nothing you could have done otherwise. That man is to blame."

"It's not just that," he frowned deeply as he ran a hand tiredly over his face. "Ayumi isn't a ninja. She has only a vague understanding of what that life is like… It's a hard life, Sakura- you know that better than anyone." The woman looked sadly down at her lap. Likely, visions of her husband, away on his secret mission, were playing in her mind. "It's a dangerous life, and I just don't want to see her hurt because of it…"

"That's understandable, but did you ever even consider how Ayumi feels about it?" Sakura asked pointedly. He twitched, as the words stung. "I've heard rumor that she's quite fond of you herself, Shikamaru. I'm sure she understands well enough what she would be getting into," she scolded him lightly. She then smiled gently. "You know, I don't think Temari would blame you for moving on." He tensed up. Sakura had struck a nerve, a deep one, and the root of his hesitance. "She wanted, more than anything, for you to be happy. If Ayumi makes you happy, Shikamaru, then don't hold yourself back. She wouldn't want it. She wants you to be whole again, and I'm sure that she wants Shikadai to have the mother he deserves." Sakura rose after the final comment, placing a hand on his shoulder before silently exiting the room. Shikamaru covered his eyes as the tears spilled out of the corners of his eyes.

"Damn. That woman is good," he chuckled weakly. He peered out of his fingers at Ayumi's sleeping form before rising to quietly crossing to room to stand at her bedside. He gently took a strand of her beautiful chestnut hair in his fingers, feeling the softness of the strands before letting it slip away. "I'm a mess. Are you sure you want that?" he teased quietly. Still unconscious, she did not answer, only breathed deeply in sleep. He smiled softly and gently took her hand, fingers wrapped in bandages, and gently stroked the top with his thumb. "… I thought I could prevent this, but I can't," he whispered as he brought her hand to his mouth, gently kissing the tips of her injured fingers. "I simply can't deny it any longer. You've stolen my heart, you know," he sighed as he let her hand drop back onto the bed. He gently stroked her hair, watching her sleep for a few minutes before he finally pulled himself away to walk across the hall and check on the boys.

"Daddy! Is Miss Ayumi going to be okay?" Shikadai cried as he hopped off of his hospital bed to race over to him. He had a few bandages on his hands and knees, but was otherwise unharmed. Boruto perked up from his own bed, listening eagerly for news on his teacher's condition.

"Yes, she'll be just fine," she smiled as he ruffled his son's hair. The boys breathed out heavy sighs of relief. Shikadai then glanced up at him, spotted the fresh tear stains on his father's cheeks.

"Daddy, are you okay?" he asked suspiciously. As Shikamaru lifted his son in his arms, smiling happily, he nodded.

"Yeah, I think I will be, Shikadai," he murmured, closing his eyes to lean his forehead against his son's. "I think I will be."


	14. Chapter 13: Ayumi Awakens

Ayumi stared blankly at the tiled white ceiling above her as her mind slowly shifted into focus, her vision fading in and out as she struggled into consciousness. Groaning slightly, she eased herself into a sitting position as she glanced around incomprehensibly. _Where am I?_ she thought sluggishly. The room was white, almost painfully so, with the only splash of color a blooming daffodil in a glass vase on a small bedside table. There was a sliding door with a sliver of a window, but it was closed, and she could hear muffled voices passing by every now and then. She glanced down at herself, feeling stiff.

Her entire body ached dully, like it was throbbing just beneath the surface; she held up a hand, surprised that her fingers were wrapped tightly in bandages. The tips were slightly red, stained from her own blood that had leaked from the open wounds on her fingertips. Beneath the wrappings, her skin stung. As she stared at her wounded hand, her memory suddenly surged back to her, and she suddenly came upon the realization that she was in the hospital.

"Oh! You're finally awake!" came a cheerful voice as the sliding door abruptly opened. With a gasp, Ayumi glanced over to see Sakura walking into the room with a roll of bandages in her hands, her pink hair tied back and a relieved smile on her face. "How do you feel?" she asked as she took a seat on the edge of the hospital band and began unwinding the bandages on Ayumi's fingers to check its healing progress. Stunned, Ayumi blinked.

"O-oh, um, I just feel really tired," she answered after a moment, looking down as her ripped fingers were revealed. Her fingertips were an angry red, pulsing and throbbing as her body made an attempt to heal the ripped skin. She winced as Sakura began applying a healing ointment, but she then exhaled lightly, as a cool sensation pervaded her nerves and numbed the burning. "That's better," she smiled weakly as Sakura began wrapped the wounds in fresh bandages.

"You gave Shikamaru quite a scare," the pink-haired kunoichi teased lightly as she wound the wrappings around her hands with expert precision. Ayumi blushed darkly as the woman continued, "He came here all in a fluster, insisting I be the one to treat you! He's barely left the hospital the last three days; I had to kick him out this morning and make him go to work!" she laughed. Ayumi suddenly spluttered, attempting to crawl out of the bed.

"Three days? I've been here for three days?" she cried in a panic, throwing the bedsheets off of herself. "Oh, no, this is awful! Oh, my poor garden is probably withering away… And my children, they must be giving the substitute so much grief! I have to get back!" However, despite her feverish energy, when she attempted to stand up her head began swimming, and she clung to the bed railing as her knees gave out from under her. Sakura rushed to her side, gently grabbing her shoulders to ease her back onto the bed.

"Hey, now! Stop moving around like that! You're going to be in bed for at least another week!" Sakura protested firmly as she drew the blanket back over the flustered teacher. "You nearly used up all your chakra! That'll put a Jonin on bedrest for a few days, but at your level, it's much worse!" Ayumi blushed in embarrassment at the scolding, shrinking down as Sakura continued to fuss at her for her escape attempt.

"I can't just sit here, Sakura!" she whined and pursed her lips in annoyance. "At least bring me a book or something," she moped with a dissatisfied glance out the window. Its view cast over the street, where people were walking by chatting happily to one another and enjoying the weather. Ayumi began to fidget as she caught sight of the area where the schoolhouse was in the distance, beginning to fret once more at the state of her class. "Please, can I go see the children, at least?" she implored desperately and glanced back at the medical ninja with pleading eyes. "They must be so worried about me! I would at least like to let them see that I'm recovering." Sakura pursed her lips as she contemplated the plea, then sighed heavily.

"Jeez, you're just as bad as all of them! Naruto, Sasuke, Lee- none of you ever want to stay in bed! Does anyone take a medical ninja seriously anymore?" she exclaimed in exasperation and threw up her hands in defeat. She then smiled coyly at the teacher and offered a hand to her. "I'll take you to see them." Ayumi smiled gratefully and took the offered hand, allowing Sakura to gently pull her to her feet.

Now that she was calmer, she stood up without much discomfort, but walking was still an effort. It took twice the amount of time it would normally take for them to walk to the Konoha Ninja Academy, due to Ayumi's need to take a break around every five minutes due to her growing winded. Sakura encouraged her steadily, patiently keeping pace with the frail teacher. Ayumi was grateful for the company, for if she had gone on her own, she was not sure if she would have had the perseverance to make the journey. As she and the medical ninja approached the doors of the Academy, Ayumi was panting again.

"I really hope I don't have to use chakra ever again," she groaned as she plopped down on the swing set attached to the lone tree in the schoolyard, using her toes to gently push herself back and forth. Despite the comment, her expression had brightened and she felt more energized than ever being in the presence of her beloved school and within reach of her cherished students. The walk had also done her some good, relaxing the muscles that had grown stiff from lying in the hospital bed for three days.

"As long as those boys stay out of trouble, I'm sure you won't have to," Sakura teased lightly and leaned against the trunk of the tree, her hands clasped neatly behind her back. Before either of the women could say anything more, the schoolhouse door was suddenly flung open and her delighted bunch of students came pouring out, all scrambling over each other to be the one to reach the teacher first. A very disgruntled Shino came trotting after them, seemingly unamused that his class had suddenly up and abandoned their lesson.

"Miss Ayumi!" Shikadai squealed as he charged over the grass, throwing himself into her lap when he was within jumping distance. She cried out as he landed roughly against her knees, but he seemed unharmed, grinning happily up at her. "You're all better!" he beamed as he bounced excitedly up and down. The rest of the children gathered around her, chattering blissfully.

"We were so worried about you!" Chocho cried as she tugged on the teacher's arm ecstatically, her pigtails bobbing as she squirmed in joy.

"Mom and I brought you a flower," Inojin commented proudly. "Did you see it? We've been looking after the garden for you. Dad kinda stepped on a few of the weeds on accident, though."

"Are you going to come back soon?" Boruto asked glumly. "Shino-sensei is so boring! History sucks, but at least you make it kinda interesting, Miss Ayumi."

"You know, I'm right here, Boruto," came the cool reply from behind the crowd of children, and the blonde boy jerked in surprise and peered sheepishly over his shoulder at the intimidating man. Ayumi burst into laughter, elated at all the attention she was garnering from her pupils.

"I'm so glad you all came out to see me!" she beamed brightly. "I'm afraid that I'm going to be in the hospital for a few more days, so you all have to be really good for Shino for me, okay?" The children groaned in unison, and if Ayumi could see beyond the dark shades the ninja was wearing, she imagined that Shino rolled his eyes. "Now, now," she scolded, "that's no way to treat a substitute. He's going out of his way to teach you; you should all be grateful!" She then smiled gently and leaned forward to pull the small crowd of children into a group hug. "I'll miss you all so much! Make sure you come visit me, all right? If you're all good for Shino, maybe I'll take you to do something fun!" she enticed with a wink. They nodded eagerly, and the teacher pulled away. "Now, back to class with you!" she ordered, and they began muttering complaints as Shino herded them back into the schoolhouse. Shikadai lingered behind, his bright blue eyes gazing at the teacher.

"You should go see Daddy," he remarked pointedly. "He's been a real mess ever since you've been put in the hospital. His nightmares are worse than ever," he frowned before running back into the schoolhouse. _Nightmares?_ She thought in confusion, glancing over at Sakura. The woman frowned and leaned her head back to stare through the dense leaves and into the sky above, carefully considering how to answer the unasked question.

"After Temari died," she began. "Shikamaru was hospitalized for insomnia. He hadn't been sleeping because he was having awful night terrors. It got to the point when he couldn't distinguish between reality and his dreams, he was so delirious, and he almost killed Shikadai during an episode. The boy barely remembers it, but I sure do…" she murmured with a shudder, looking back down at the teacher. "It was like nothing I've ever seen." Ayumi remained silent, chewing on her lip.

"Do you think he'll ever stop feeling guilty?" she asked abruptly. "I mean, that's the problem, right?" she continued, staring up into Sakura's green eyes, which were swimming with surprise at the teacher's pointed question. "That's why he has nightmares, and why he's hanging on to her so, and why he's tearing himself apart… He thinks he could have done something more to save her." Sakura sighed heavily and walked over to the swing, leaning against the rope.

"I think the reason he's having nightmares again is because he's very close to that point," she smiled suddenly down at her. "He's been battling with this for two years, and was at a standstill until you came along." At this, the teacher's eyes widened considerably. "I really think you're his cure." Blushing, she glanced down at her lap.

"I don't know about that… I'm nothing special, really," she sighed heavily. Sakura crouched down in front of her, gently taking her hands in her own. Ayumi peered up at her hesitantly.

"What are you talking about? You're as amazing as any one of us, Ayumi," she reassured. "Maybe you aren't a legendary ninja, but you're exceptionally intelligent and an expert in all the nations in the continent! You've been consulted many times in the past for descriptions and maps of various ruins, cities, and countries, haven't you?" The teacher nodded slowly. "You're one of the most respected experts in the village, even if people don't tell you so. On top of that, you're a wonderful teacher, and everyone knows it. The children adore you!" Ayumi smiled lightly, embarrassed from all the praise. Before she could move to bashfully interject, however, Sakura suddenly prodded her right in the center of her chest. "Most importantly, though, you have one of the biggest, purest hearts I've ever seen. Just look at what you did the other day! You outran the Hokage, his advisor, and a squadron of Jonin guards to save Shikadai and Boruto, all on your own! Don't tell me you're nothing special, because Ayumi, you're extraordinarily so."

"Thank you, Sakura," she smiled gently. Tears were rising to the corners of her eyes in response to her moving words. She knew in her heart that she was falling in love with Shikamaru, but a part of her had never felt worthy; what did she, a lowly teacher, have to offer such an esteemed ninja? Thanks to Sakura's encouragement, she felt differently now. She wanted to be with him, no matter the danger, no matter the risk.

"Well, then," Sakura grinned, hopping back to her feet. "Let's pay Shikamaru a little visit, shall we?" With butterflies fluttering in her stomach, she rose to her feet, walking beside the female ninja and bubbling with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

 _Shikamaru… I hope that you'll let me into your heart now. You've already found your way into mine…_


	15. Chapter 14: Shikamaru's Choice

Thunder rolled overhead, echoing through the roiling gray sky as torrential rain spilled from the heavens, soaking Shikamaru to the bone as he leaped from tree branch to tree branch, gripped in a feverish panic. Lightning flashed occasionally, illuminating the battle-torn landscape far below on the forest floor. Deep rivets scored through the ground, chasms of mud and grass that were all that remained of the shredded forest floor. Leaves danced wildly in the wind, ripped from the uprooted trees that lay collapsed on the ground with their great roots tangling into the air. Kunai and shuriken studded the grass, the trees, and the dirt, glistening with bright red blood. Then there were the bodies, haphazardly strewn about and eerily still, lifeless. Shikamaru ignored it all, his dark eyes staring straight ahead as he desperately fought to keep up with the flash of blonde hair charging through the trees, the great black fan that reflected the countless blasts of lightning snaking through the sky.

"Come back!" he called for the hundredth time, but she could not hear over the howling wind and the booming thunder- or perhaps she simply ignored him. She continued on, plunging through the quivering forest leaves down to the shadow of the ground; Shikamaru dove after her, landing clumsily in the slick grass and sliding in the mud, but when he glanced up she had all but vanished into the darkness. He whipped around, panting, calling out her name, but she did not, or would not, answer him. He screamed until his voice grew hoarse, and at last when the weariness caught up to him he fell onto his hands and knees onto the ground, trembling lightly.

The air whistled as the kunai came shooting from the bushes, and it was all he could do to roll out of the way, slipping and sliding over the mud as the squadron of enemy ninja sprang from their hiding places, weapons poised to strike. Body moving on its own, Shikamaru tore through them in a rage, oblivious to the pain as the blades ripped savagely through his skin. The bodies fell one after another, the screams overpowered by the whirling thunderstorm that continued to rage around them; then, Shikamaru was alone, completely alone and breathless. He glanced down numbly at the handle of the kunai sticking out of his shoulder, watching as his own blood turned his green vest black. As he struggled to hang on to consciousness, a high-pitched scream cleaved the air, echoing through the empty forest. It was close.

Grunting with effort, Shikamaru tore the weapon from his shoulders and surged madly through the bushes, intent to kill; however, there was a bright of brilliant white light, and abruptly the sky was blazing blue, and the wind was soft and warm on his cheeks. He scrabbled to a halt, sliding on the weather-worn rocks of the mighty stone cliff overlooking the Hidden Leaf Village. Confused, he blinked as he struggled to comprehend the sudden transformation, until he caught sight of her, standing dangerously close to the precipice with her arms held out to him.

"My love," Temari whispered as she beckoned him closer, taking the smallest of steps back towards the edge of the cliff. Locked in a trance, he shuffled forward, a tentative hand reaching to grasp her own. She looked beautiful, not a scratch on her, with her golden hair tied up neatly in four pigtails and shimmering in the bright sunlight. Her blue eyes rivaled the sky, full of love and kindness.

"Temari," he swallowed. He had missed her. Oh, how he had missed her.

"Shikamaru!" cried a sharp voice behind him, and he whipped around to see who the voice belonged to. It was her, naturally; Ayumi, with her rippling chestnut hair and soft brown eyes and shy smile. "Come this way," she murmured as she held out her hand for him. The other was wrapped into a small grip around a child's hand- _his_ child's hand. Shikadai stared at him expectantly, those blue eyes of his blinking innocently.

"Come with me, my love," Temari beckoned once more, edging ever closer to the precipice and smiling warmly. Shikamaru froze as he glanced between the two women, heart pounding in a fury. He suddenly let out a frustrated cry, grabbing his head as pain split through his skull, and he collapsed to his knees. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes, and he kneeled between the two women, the two people he loved most in the world, and sobbed.

"How can I choose?" he whispered. "How can I choose? Please, no more, no more… It hurts too much!" he begged.

"You have to choose," Temari answered from his right.

"It's the only way," Ayumi added from his left.

"For you to be whole again," they chimed simultaneously. There was a sudden pounding, like drums, and Shikamaru squeezed his eyes shut as his had resounded with the throbbing pain. _Boom boom boom. Boom boom boom._ He wanted it to stop, for it all to stop, and in a fit of rage he surged upwards and ended up knocking all the papers he had stacked on his desk into the air, and they came raining down around him as Sakura stared with wide eyes at him, standing between the two towering bookshelves.

It took a moment for Shikamaru to comprehend that he had returned to reality, and when he had finally stumbled across that truth, the papers had long since settled on the wooden floor. The pounding in his head had been Sakura knocking lightly on the wooden side of the bookshelf to alert him of her presence so as not to sneak up on him. He exhaled heavily and collapsed into his chair, running a hand over his face. He felt lines there that hadn't existed before he had apparently fallen asleep at the library table from sheer exhaustion. Not that sleep recharged him any these days.

"Yes, Sakura?" he asked wearily as he bent down to begin shuffling the fallen papers into a pile. He jumped slightly, surprised to find a pair of delicate, small hands brushing against his own, and when he glanced up, his dark eyes met a pair of chestnut ones.

"I brought you a visitor," Sakura stated with a light smirk, quite aware that she was proclaiming the obvious. Ayumi, crouched down in front of him, blushed lightly and cast her gaze to the floor. "I have errands to run, so just bring her back to the hospital," the pink-haired kunoichi yawned as she whirled on her feet and strode off down the aisle, waving merrily. Both Shikamaru and Ayumi began to protest in embarrassment, then glanced at each other through their peripheral vision and blushed lightly, looking away immediately. Silently they gathered the discarded papers and returned them to the corner of the table, and Shikamaru leaned heavily back in his chair as Ayumi quietly stood, nervously fidgeting with the ends of the bandages wound around her fingertips.

"I-" they started at the same time, and stopped abruptly, each wishing to let the other continue. When it was clear that Ayumi was intent on letting him speak, he mumbled, "I didn't know you were awake."

"I just woke up about a few hours ago," she explained as she eased herself down into the chair beside him, placing her hands primly on her lap. "Sakura was quite insistent, saying I should stay in bed, but I wanted to see the children…" Shikamaru felt his heart constrict as she looked slowly up at him. There was something in her eyes, something that hadn't been there before; he dropped his gaze miserably, unsettled by it. "I wanted to see you, Shikamaru." She leaned forward, reaching out to rest her hands on his own, hanging off the end of the armrest. She hesitated as his fingers twitched, then she gently, gently grasped his hand in her own, wrapping her bandaged fingers around his. He inhaled sharply. "Shikadai says you've been having nightmares… You just had one, didn't you?"

"Yes," he admitted quietly. _You have to choose,_ the women's voices echoed in his mind, and he shook his head to chase them away, ripping his hand from Ayumi's and standing abruptly to walk a few paces into the aisle. He paused after a few steps, then leaned heavily against the bookshelf, hanging his head at the fact he even began to walk away from her when she was so obviously concerned. _You have to choose._ "They… They're confusing. Frustrating," he murmured as he pressed his back against the leather-bound volumes and slid down into a sitting position, sending a few of the tomes crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust. Ayumi rose slowly to her feet, timidly approaching him to retrieve the fallen books and return them to their appropriate places on the shelves. She then kneeled down in front of him, and before she could say anything, he reached out and took her hand delicately, running the tip of his thumb over the bandages. "… That looks painful."

"It's a small price to pay for the boys' lives," she remarked simply, not reacting to the slightly seductive touch. She was staring levelly at him. "I'm certainly not in as much pain as you are, and I'm the one with the bandages." He dropped her hand and looked away as he chewed on his lip, feeling his heart clench again. _Choose,_ Temari whispered. _Choose,_ Ayumi murmured. _I can't!_ he screamed back. As the pain split his head once more, he tensed up, a hand rising to his left temple. "Shikamaru," Ayumi gasped and reached out, but stopped, realizing that there was little she could do. Her expression looked pained as she looked down at the wooden floor, and the throbbing in Shikamaru's head ebbed away.

"How much longer will you be in the hospital?" he asked quietly, trying not to let the pain show in his voice.

"Sakura thinks at least another week," she replied, fidgeting with her bandages once more. "I don't know how I'll be able to handle being away from the children that long, and goodness, they must be giving Shino so much grief, the poor man," she added with a slight chuckle, but when she looked back up at him, he could tell the smile was forced. There was no happiness in the depths of her eyes, only concern, and pain, and sadness.

 _Choose, to be whole again._

 _Can I be?_

"I give it three days before you're back in the classroom," he remarked with a wry smile. "You're too stubborn to stay in bed for a week." She only smiled weakly back at him, and with a small sigh, Shikamaru realized that Ayumi was heartbroken seeing him this way, hanging on to the ghosts of the past. _I want to be whole again,_ he thought wearily as he leaned his head back against the bookshelf, closing his eyes as the nightmarish scene danced before his eyes. Temari on the precipice, Ayumi on the other side, with him trapped between. _That's certainly what it feels like. I don't want to lose either of them,_ he thought as he peeked an eye open to glance down at the teacher. She was sitting there patiently, but her face was growing pale with unease as he wrestled silently with his mind.

 _Shikamaru,_ she called. _Come this way._

Temari took one step closer to the edge, the back of her sandal sending pebbles clattering down the wall hundreds of feet below.

"Shikamaru," she whispered suddenly, her hands sliding onto his cheeks to gently pull his face down to look her in the eyes. Brown, not blue. "Please don't push me away any longer." He was astounded to find tears rolling silently down her cheeks, and her hands were trembling against his skin. "I… I can't bear to see you this miserable any longer. If… If I make you this way, then I'll… I'll lea-"

 _Choose!_ They shouted.

Shikamaru chose.

"Don't," he whispered softly as he looked down at her with sudden clarity. He lifted his hands, gently wiping her tears away with the edges of his thumbs. "Please, don't," he whispered once more. She was struck silent, her mouth slightly hanging open as the words she was about to utter caught in her throat. _Even crying like that, she's still beautiful,_ he thought wryly. She still had her bandaged hands on his face, and he reached up, wrapping his fingers around hers and squeezing tightly. He saw her visibly relax, her shoulders sagging and her mouth easing into a smile. His hands traveled slowly up her arms, over her shoulders and up her neck to rest on her cheeks. "Don't ever leave me," he murmured as he leaned forward. As their lips brushed against one another, she murmured, "I won't."

In his mind, Temari smiled as she took her final step back, falling backward and disappearing from sight as he enveloped Ayumi's mouth in his own.

Once he started, he couldn't stop. Suddenly seized with passion, he pushed the kiss deeper, his hands traveling to her waist to pull her up against him. If she was embarrassed, Ayumi didn't show it; she simply allowed him to take control, her hands sliding to the back of his neck as she angled her head, accepting his barrage of kisses. He slipped his hands into her hair, caressing the waves of chestnut strands until he found her waist again. Embroiled in the heat of the moment, he used the weight of his body to turn her and press her down against the library floor, not stopping for a moment. Finally, she broke free of him, gasping and laughing while she turned her face away when Shikamaru went to kiss her again.

"Shikamaru, I can't breathe. Are you trying to kill me?" she chuckled breathlessly.

"Sorry," he apologized with a snicker, suddenly embarrassed. _What a drag… I made myself look like a total fool. I'm supposed to be the cool guy,_ he thought in amusement. "I let that get a little out of hand…"

"You think?" she mused as she turned back to face him, smiling warmly as she brushed a strand of hair from her face. Her cheeks were bright pink, from embarrassment and adrenaline. She began to complain as Shikamaru leaned down once more, but her only buried his face into the crook of her neck, covering his face in her thick chestnut hair. _Smells like daffodils,_ he thought absently.

"I love you," he murmured against her skin, planting a small kiss on her neck. "Sorry it took all that to get me to come out and say it."

"It's okay," he heard her say, and she wrapped her arms around him in a light hug, holding him close. He could feel her heart beating against his own. It was a nice feeling. "You were scared to lose her, right? You didn't want to let go of Temari." Shikamaru tensed up slightly at the teacher's pointedness, but she should have known better; the girl had a sharp mind, and nothing got past her.

"Sharp as usual," he smirked.

"I'm not selfish, you know," she sighed heavily, and he frowned lightly. "I know you'll always love her. It's okay if you hang on to a little part of her… She was your wife, after all, and Shikadai's mother. It's only natural you would have a place in your heart for her…" Shikamaru smiled at that, and he buried his face deeper into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent and pulling her close to him. She seemed to take that as acceptance, and leaned her head down against his. As relief crashed over him, he found himself to begin drifting off to sleep, and for the first time in three days, he wasn't afraid to.

On the edges of a dream, he walked closer to the precipice, glancing down over the edge. Far below, he could see Temari sitting on her open fan, gliding over the village as the sun began to set. He would see her again, he knew. Ayumi appeared next to him, entwining their fingers together. Shikamaru smiled as he kissed the top of her head, watching the sun set into darkness. Then, the vision faded away as he drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

"My heart belongs entirely to you," he heard Ayumi breathe as he lapsed into unconsciousness.


	16. Chapter 15: Simple Joy

"Hold still, Shikadai!" Shikamaru barked with impatience as he chased his son, giggling and running around in his underwear, around the living room. With a squeal of glee, Shikadai wriggled underneath the small gap in the armchair, and with a grimace Shikamaru flopped down on his stomach and shot his hand underneath to quickly grab the boy's retreating ankle. Shikadai laughed happily as his father yanked him out from underneath the chair and sat on top of his legs to keep him in place. "There! Can't run now, can you?" Shikamaru smirked as he nuzzled the side of his son's face, while Shikadai squealed and wriggled around in an attempt to escape his father's endless shower of affection. Obediently, he held his arms out to his sides to allow Shikamaru to slip the sleeves of the yukata, a simple garment made of grey fabric patterned with white and black leaves, on him.

"Daddy, how come you aren't wearing a yukata to the festival? Everyone else is," Shikadai inquired as he fiddled with the small band of blue cloth Shikamaru was attempting to wrap around his waist.

"A festival is the perfect time to launch a sneak attack. Many of the ninja are going in their ninja gear, just in case," he explained as he lightly popped Shikadai's hand, causing him to squeak and retract, permitting the father to finish dressing his son. He rose to his feet, freeing Shikadai from his prison; in response, the boy hopped to his feet and jumped up and down, enjoying how the cotton fabric flopped.

"Does this make me look like a girl?" the boy frowned as he glanced over his back to wiggle his behind. "Does it make my butt look big?"

"No," Shikamaru laughed, scooping his son in his arms and carrying him to the entrance of the house. He crouched down to retrieve Shikadai's shoes and place them onto the boy's feet before sliding into his own. After adjusting the boy in his arms, he opened the door and stepped onto the street, where a large crowd was already making their way to the business district of the city.

"Are we going to get Miss Ayumi?" Shikadai asked as he craned his neck, searching the crowd out of curiosity.

"She's going to meet us at Yamanaka Flowers," the father responded, placing Shikadai onto his shoulders as he descended into the crowd. Shikadai held onto his head while he held the boy's legs, keeping him secure as they waded through the congested dirt street. As the last festival of the summer, the event had drawn out nearly all of the village's occupants, and was bound to be a smash hit regardless of age and rank. Shikamaru saw pretty teenage girls, dressed in floral-print yukatas with their hair styled elegantly giggling together as they admired the handsome boys, dressed simply and horsing around as they walked towards the village center. Old men puffed on pipes and cigarettes and cigars as they chatted with each other, exchanging tales of festivals past and anticipating a night of good drinking. Mothers and fathers escorted their children along the road, carrying them in secure arms and swinging them lightly by their hands while they squealed with delight; other children wove between their parent's feet, playing tag or chasing one another with sparklers or simply stuffing their faces with pastries. Everyone was smiling, though, and Shikamaru hoped that there would be no cause for any of them to stop smiling.

"I see her!" Shikadai crowed suddenly, and leaned forward against his father's head as he pointed toward the side of the road. One hand covered Shikamaru's right eye, and he struggled to regain his vision while he pushed his way out of the crowd. By the time he arrived, Shikadai was bouncing up and down on his shoulders with his hands covering _both_ of his eyes, causing him to frown.

"Shikadai, I can't see," he whined as he pulled his son's hands from his face, and when he did so, his heart stopped for an instant. "I… Um… You," he stammered unintelligently at her stared at the gorgeous girl standing shyly before him.

Ayumi's chestnut hair was pinned loosely in a bun atop her head, with strands curling about and falling around her round face. Her eyes, sparkling with happiness, gazed up into his own, accented with a touch of golden eye shadow. It matched her yukata well, patterns with none other than golden daffodils against an orange background that brought out the amber highlights in her hair. "You look beautiful," he choked out finally, earning a laugh from Ino as she appeared over Ayumi's shoulder.

"She cleans up well, doesn't she?" the blonde mused as she admired her handiwork. Inojin tottered out of the shop, tripping over the maple leaf-patterned yukata he was wearing, followed by Sai, who was dressed in his usual gear. Since her husband had decided to do so, Ino had opted for a yukata herself, patterned in cosmos flowers, and her long hair tied into buns on either side of her head. She had done her make-up as well, but frankly, Shikamaru thought Ayumi's looked stunning in comparison. He was probably biased, however.

"Thank you, Shikamaru," she beamed up at him, then giggled up at Shikadai. "And don't you look adorable?" she mused as she reached up to affectionately pinch his cheeks. The boy laughed happily and swatted at her hand, teetering precariously on Shikamaru's shoulders and nearly knocking the man off balance. As he righted himself, he smiled shyly at the teacher.

"Shall we?" he smiled softly, offering an arm to her. She blushed lightly and wrapped her delicate hands around the muscle of his upper arm, allowing him to lead her out into the crowd. Ino and Sai followed, and they all chatted amiably about the flower shop's business and Ayumi's teaching and the boys as they strode down the dirt streets toward the festival. As they approached, the buzz of conversation grew, but music also danced on the air, energetic and cheerful. The aroma of food, savory and salty and sweet intermingling together, wafted over their heads. The air was comfortably warm, heated by the throng of bodies bustling along the road. Paper lanterns, glowing with the flickering flames of candles, were strung along the entrance to the business district. As they walked through, the scene exploded all at once.

Despite the large area, the crowd was still immense, giving barely enough room to walk comfortably. Booth owners flagged down passersby to sell their wares or advertise their games, and the doors to the restaurants were all propped open, welcoming all who passed. Paper lanterns and lights were strung overhead, tied to building balconies and overhangs to shine down on the festival. Near the center, people danced happily to a small band playing with flutes and stringed instruments. Laughter, both the joyful giggles of children and the raucous guffaws of drunks, echoed all around them. Ayumi pressed lightly against his side as a gang of children rushed past, chasing a ball that was bouncing down the street. He smiled lightly and took her hand, entwining his fingers with her own. She smiled back, making him feel all fuzzy and warm inside. _Get it together, Shikamaru. Remember to be vigilant…_ he reminded himself.

"Mom, Dad, can we go play that game?" Inojin asked loudly as he pointed to a dart-throwing game stall. "I want that teddy bear." He pointed up at the gigantic stuffed animal hanging from the corner of the stall, almost twice his size and probably nearly impossible to obtain.

"Daddy will win it for you! Right, honey?" Ino smiled as she snuggled up to her husband.

"Yeah, okay," Sai responded simply and followed his elated son to the stall after giving Shikamaru and Ayumi a light wave of farewell. Ino waved excitedly before dashing off after her family, leaving the three of them standing in the middle of the festival pondering what they wanted to do now that they had arrived at the celebration. With so much to do, it was almost overwhelming. Before any of them could suggest a thing, however, Shikadai's stomach growled loudly.

"Food!" he demanded with a pout, plopping his chin on the top of Shikamaru's head and groaning. Ayui chuckled and gestured to a stand nearby, the scent of cooking meat radiating from its small wooden frame. A large crowd of people was gathered around it.

"Let's try whatever they're selling!" she smiled happily, tugging at Shikamaru's hand as she set off toward the booth. She wove nimbly through the crowd, pulling him along as he matched his stride to keep from overtaking her. She kept glancing back at him, grinning and brimming with excitement. _I'm glad she's having so much fun already,_ he thought happily. As they arrived at the food stand, the delectable aroma was almost mouthwatering. "Ooh! Kabobs!" Ayumi squealed with delight as she pushed her way to the front to take a gander at the wares. She then squeaked with surprise as a certain blonde-haired ninja, seated at the stall with three kabobs in each hand, blinked up at her.

"Hey! Ayumi! You're out of the hospital!" he grinned with his mouth dripping with sauce. He shoved a kabob in his mouth and devoured the meat on it before tossing the empty skewer into the trash, where a sizable pile had started. The Hokage then hopped to his feet and beamed at her happily. "Pretty great festival, huh?"

"Oh, yes! It's so lively!" Ayumi smiled back.

"Why am I not surprised that you would be wherever the food is?" Shikamaru sighed as he shook his head. _The greatest ninja in the village, stuffing his face like a buffoon. Naruto, you never change._ "How many of those have you _had_?"

"I lost count at fifteen," he admitted as he shoved two more in his mouth.

"Dad, you've been at this same stall for thirty minutes. How can you say the festival is great when you haven't been anywhere else?" Boruto moped beside him, arms crossed grumpily. " _I_ had to be the one stuck with _you,_ while Mom took Himawari to do the fun stuff!" he complained miserably. "Oh, hey, Miss Ayumi," he added with a small smile. Naruto sucked on another skewer, giving his son a pouty sidelong glance.

"Yeah, yeah, we've got all the time in the world, Boruto," he shot back, finishing off his kabobs before pulling his son onto his shoulders and grinning stupidly at Ayumi and Shikamaru. "Well, I gotta run, but it's good to see you out and about!" he smiled at her and dipped his head at Shikamaru before plunging into the crowd, humming happily as Boruto bounced on his shoulders. Shikadai glared after his rival, then grinned and reached for the meat simmering on the grill.

"Three, please," Shikamaru told the cook, tilting his head as Shikadai continued to grab at the cooking food. "So, you have completely recovered?" he asked Ayumi.

"Oh, yes!" she smiled and held up her unbandaged hands. The tips of her fingers had healed over and hadn't even scarred. "Sakura discharged me yesterday, and said I could start teaching again right away! I'm still not one hundred percent yet, but I don't imagine I'll be exerting myself like that anytime soon anyway," she mused with a teasing look at Shikadai. The boy blushed bashfully, then gasped with delight as the cook held out a steaming kabob to him. He grabbed it and sank his teeth into the meat, then jerked his head back and let out a scream.

"Oww! Hot! Hot!" he shouted, and Shikamaru flinched as boiling-hot meat juice dripped into his hair and burned his scalp.

"Hey! Watch it up there!" he yelped as he shook his head to clear away the juice drops in his hair. Shikadai laughed as he blew on his stick of meat, and the ninja just sighed as he took his portion and sniffed at it experimentally. Ayumi giggled as she watched the two, holding her own kabob aloft to let it cool. "What?" he asked with a mouthful of meat.

"You two are the most adorable things," she laughed. He smiled wryly and swallowed his food, flicking her in the forehead. As she gasped and ran a hand on the small pink spot that had developed, he smirked down at her.

"That so? You're pretty adorable yourself, you know," he teased.

"I am not! I am intimidating!" she huffed, puffing out her cheeks. It only made her cuter, in his opinion.

"You're about as intimidating as a wet blanket, Ayumi!" he laughed.

"Nuh-uh!" Shikadai interjected as he chomped on a particularly chewy bite of steak. "Daddy, you haven't seen Ayumi angry! One time she got so mad at Boruto, he wet his pants!"

"He did not," Ayumi corrected with a snicker.

"Well, he was close," Shikadai conceded. "I wish he had, though. That would've been so funny!" He managed to swallow the piece of meat before sucking on the skewer and glancing around the festival to see what he wanted to do next. Abruptly, he ripped the small, pointed piece of wood out of his mouth to point at a booth further down the line. "Hey! Daddy, let's do that one! That one!" he cried excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Shikamaru mused as he finished off the last bite of his kabob and tossed the empty stick in the garbage. Ayumi plodded along beside him as they walked along the booths, occasionally pressing against him as she moved around various people and obstacles. Every time their bodies touched, Shikamaru felt like a jolt of electricity passed through him, making his hair stand on end and the end of his fingertips tingle. He couldn't help but stare at her, either, at her soft chestnut hair and think about how much he wanted to caress it; at her light pink lips, and how much he wanted to kiss them. He felt like he was walking in a dream, as his head was swimming and he couldn't think straight. He kept trying to remind himself that he was on duty, but his mind always bent back to her. _What's wrong with me?_

"Goldfish?" Ayumi inquired as they neared the booth. Little children were crouched down in front of wooden boxes filled with water and little golden fish swimming around in them, armed with paper nets in the attempt to scoop them out of the tank. Several of them yelled and stomped their feet angrily when the nets broke and the fish escaped back into the water, and not a shortage of them were pulled away by their mothers sobbing miserably and throwing temper tantrums. _Of course he picks the scam,_ he thought with a frown as he lifted Shikadai from his shoulders to plant him lightly on the ground. The boy ran happily to the wooden tanks, peering into the water as he picked out which fish he wanted to capture.

"That one, Daddy, that one!" he cried when he had made his decision. It was a pretty little thing, with shimmering amber scales and wispy fins longer than many of the others. It was also bigger, meaning it would be much more likely to break the net. Regardless, Shikamaru handed over his money and took the little paper net, frowning in concentration as he crouched down beside the box and focused on the fish. Shikadai hovered at his shoulder, mouth-breathing with excitement and quivering with anticipation as his father scooped at the fish. It flopped around, and Shikamaru preyed the cheap little net would hold, and the seconds stretched into minutes. Somehow, he pulled it off, and the vendor graciously placed the fish in a little bowl and handed it to Shikadai, who squealed and hugged Shikamaru around the legs with one arm.

"Thank you, Daddy! Miss Ayumi, isn't it cute?" he beamed, holding out the bowl so she could see.

"Oh, yes, very much. Almost as cute as you!" she grinned back, and Shikadai blushed bashfully and shuffled his feet shyly. Ayumi looked up at Shikamaru with a wry smile. "Nice work there."

"Ah, it was nothing," he sniffed confidently, but inside he was giving thanks to whatever supernatural force had helped him pull off the stunt and impress her. She laughed and waved a hand dismissively at him, then smiled sweetly and slipped her hand into his own, rubbing his thumb with hers. He squeezed it lightly, enjoying how small her hand seemed in his own. Shikadai then caught sight of another attraction, and they were pulled back into the throng of people, following the goldfish-bearing boy from booth to booth and sampling their wares. Soon they had made rounds of the entire thing, and much of the night had passed. Shikadai stumbled along in front of them, almost asleep on his feet as he stared down into the goldfish bowl and watched it swim in circles. "All right, I think it's time to turn in," Shikamaru chuckled softly as he took the goldfish bowl in one hand and lifted his son into his arms with the other. Shikadai didn't object, only yawned loudly and wrapped his arms around his father's neck and buried his head into his shoulder. Soon, he was snoring softly.

"Wow, he's tuckered out, poor thing," Ayumi mused as she rubbed the boy's back soothingly. "He had fun, though."

"Yeah, and now I'm broke," he joked, turning out his empty pockets. Shikadai had played every game in the festival, and eaten at everything else. Ayumi giggled and stood up on her tip-toes to plant a light kiss on his cheek, making his face burn slightly as he grew embarrassed. He cast his gaze to the ground, stuttering, and that made her giggle. "What?" he blushed.

"Nothing. Just, you," she mused quietly, staring up at him in a way that made his heart flutter. Smiling gently, he leaned down to press his lips to her forehead.

"I'm really glad you came," he murmured. She smiled happily and reached up to take his face in her hands.

"I'm glad I came, too. I had a lot of fun with you," she murmured back, smiling softly. As they stared into each other's eyes, simply enjoying the pleasure of each other's company, they both went bright red when they heard a polite cough from right beside them. They jerked apart to see Ino grinning mischievously a few feet away, with Sai standing behind her with Ino sleeping on his shoulders still holding the gigantic teddy bear that his father won for him in the game. Ayumi and Shikamaru spluttered for excuses, but Ino just laughed.

"It's about time! Man, I was gonna start taking bets on how long you would drag it out, Shikamaru," she teased with a giggle.

"Ino," he grumbled in embarrassment, his heart hammering in his chest at the fright of being caught in such a compromising position. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

"You were doing it in plain sight," Sai reminded him matter-of-factly. Shikamaru shot him a glare, but the man just stared at him calmly and shrugged, making Inojin snort and mumble something incomprehensibly. Suddenly, Ayumi started laughing, and he glanced at her in surprise.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You!" she cackled. "You're so embarrassed, and it's so funny!" Shikamaru felt like he went red from his ears to his toes, and he looked away in a pout.

"I am not embarrassed," he muttered, but that just made Ayumi laugh more. Soon Ino was laughing, and even Sai was chuckling, and he grimaced to himself under the assault of giggles. Soon, the laughter wound down, and Ayumi placed her hands on his arm. "I'm sorry. Did I embarrass you more?" she teased lightly, grinning mischievously up at him. Unable to be mad at her, he rolled his eyes and leaned his head against hers.

"Jeez, you know, what am I gonna do with you, teasing me like this?" he smirked. "It's kind of a drag, you know? Makes me look uncool."

"You weren't really cool to begin with, Shikamaru," Ino chided with a giggle, then yawned and leaned slightly against Sai. "Boy, I'm about ready to pass out! Who knew a festival could be so exhausting?" she frowned as she stretched her arms over her head. She then pecked Sai on the cheek. "Let's head back, huh? Are you guys coming?" she asked them.

"Yeah, if Shikadai drools much more on my vest, I'm gonna be swimming out of here," Shikamaru sighed as he adjusted his son in his arms. He glanced down at Ayumi, then wrapped his arm about her waist, pulling her close to him as he turned her about. She smiled and pressed against him, leaning her head against his arm as they walked side-by-side away from the festival.

"Shikamaru?" she whispered, quietly so Ino and Sai could not hear.

"Hmm?" he grunted.

"Thank you," she sighed lightly. He glanced down at her in slight confusing, not sure he had done anything that required gratitude.

"For what?" he inquired.

"Just… Being with me. I've never felt so happy," she admitted shyly, pressing against him. "I really, really like you, you know?" He smiled lightly and held her close, breathing in her scent, the lovely aroma of daffodils.

"I really like you too… So, thank you. For being with me," he responded quietly. She smiled in elation and held his hand in both her own, tightly. As Shikamaru walked beside her through the night, he had never felt brighter. He felt like the world was finally right again, and nothing, not anything, could darken it ever again.


	17. Chapter 16: A Cruel World

Shikadai's tongue stuck out slightly as he painstakingly drew his colored pencil across his piece of paper, taking great care to color within the lines as he filled in the brunette sheen of Ayumi's hair. Though his crude rendition didn't hold a candle to his teacher's beautiful chestnut locks, he was quite pleased with himself, and sat back to admire his handiwork before busying himself on her dress. His classmates were busy chatting about their plans for the afternoon and kidding with each other, and though normally their conversations might have interested him, Shikadai was too absorbed in his drawing to partake. He frowned suddenly as a shadow eclipsed his work, making it terribly hard for him to see what he was doing.

"What is that, Shikadai?" Inojin inquired curiously as the blue-eyed boy glanced up at him. Puffing his chest proudly, the boy displayed his creation for his friend to critique.

"It's for Miss Ayumi," he stated as the blonde appraised the drawing with a critical eye. With an approving nod, he passed the picture back and allowed Shikadai to continue toiling away on the drawing.

"I think she'll like it," his friend commented with a smile, and Shikadai beamed, hoping that the teacher would indeed appreciate all his hard work. He colored in the rest of his drawing with gusto, and proudly held it above his head when he finally finished.

"There! When Ayumi gets back from her meeting, I'm gonna give it to her!" he grinned happily as he waved the colored piece of paper back and forth, snickering with self-satisfaction. He gasped when it was suddenly and forcefully plucked from his hands, and he jerked around in his seat to find that a few older students had wandered into the classroom, sneering widely and picking on the small children.

"Oi, you're Nara's brat, aren't you?" the one holding his precious drawing smirked, turning the paper over in his hands as he tried to inspect it. "Man, you're drawing skills suck, even for a little brat. Who is this troll supposed to be?" he laughed rudely, passing the paper off to his friend. The other boy grabbed it, wrinkling the paper as he snatched it away to look over. Shikadai's cheeks reddened with anger, and he jumped up out of his seat in an attempt to reclaim his hard work.

"Hey! That's mine! Give it back- and Miss Ayumi is _not_ a troll!" he fumed, jumping up and down as the much taller boy held it above his head and far out of his reach. He grunted as the other boy suddenly planted his foot into Shikdai's chest, sending him tumbling back. He knocked the chair over and landed roughly, hitting his knee against the edge of the chair in the process. As fiery pain blossomed up his leg, he cried out in pain and clutched his injured knee tenderly, tears stinging his eyes. "Ow…" he sniffled as he rubbed his bruised knee.

"Aw, does someone have a boo-boo?" the boy laughed coldly, and planted his foot on Shikadai's stomach to pin him onto the floor. He snatched the drawing from his friend, waving it tauntingly above the helpless boy's head. Shikadai bit down hard on his lip, sniffling as he struggled underneath the bully's weight.

"Hey, stop that!" Inojin demanded as he delivered a savage kick to the thug's shin. The older boy gritted his teeth as his leg buckled slightly, and he glared furiously at the blonde-haired boy. Seeing that his blow only angered the villain, Inojin swallowed slightly and paled, taking a few tentative steps back. He then wailed in fear as the boy shoved him hard, sending him sprawling out beside Shikadai. Whimpering, he hurriedly scrabbled away as the boy's friend reached out for him, making a hasty escape across the room. As he moved to run out into the hallway for help, he found his path blocked by two more grinning thugs. Shikadai winced as he heard his friend yelp, and after a minute Inojin was thrown down beside him, his lip bloody and swollen and his eyes full of tears.

"What's your problem?" Boruto snapped from across the stairway, balling up his fists angrily. "Are you dorks so weak that you have to go around picking on little kids for fun?" Despite his bold words, a trickle of sweat rolled down his cheeks as the two boys that had pummeled Inojin made their way down the stairs, snickering. Boruto moved first, landing a good punch on one of them, but was flung aside like a rag doll by the other.

"Pipe down, you spoiled brat. This doesn't concern you," one of them smirked. Sarada knelt down beside Boruto while he rubbed his jaw, glaring red where the blow had landed. The boys turned their attention to their leader, snatching the drawing out of his hands and giggling rudely as they inspected it. "I get it. So, you're a teacher's pet, eh, squirt?" the one who had struck Boruto mused.

"I am not a teacher's pet!" Shikadai mumbled bitterly, choking back tears. He cried out as the boy stepped down on his stomach, hard, causing him to erupt into a coughing fit. His stomach flared with pain, and he groaned as he tried to pry the boy's foot off of him. "L-leave me alone! I didn't do anything to you!" he sobbed, finally breaking down into tears. _Why? Why are they being so mean to me?_

"Aw, you made him cry," one of the boys sneered, and the leader just smirked and snatched the drawing back.

"Look, little guy, I get it," he said suddenly, in an oddly soothing voice. Shikadai was so shocked that he stopped crying for a split second, staring up at him with wide, wet blue eyes. "Rumor around town is that your dad's real sweet on your teacher, yeah?" he mused, grabbing the drawing by both sides. Shikadai's eyes grew wide.

"Hey… What are you…" he started, unable to form a cohesive thought.

"You're thinking sweet little Miss Ayumi is gonna replace your dead mommy, right? Too bad!" the boy grinned suddenly, and tore the paper right down the middle. Shikadai stared blankly as the boy continued tearing apart the paper, until he dropped the shreds. The stunned little boy watched as the paper began to flutter down through the air, landing in a pile on the floor. _My drawing…_ Then he began to bawl. The boys began laughing at his misery, while he just held his hands to his eyes and wailed miserably. Suddenly, there was the pounding of rapid footsteps down the classroom steps, and the four boys whipped around with a chorus of gasps. Stunned, Shikadai ceased his sobs just as a resounding _smack_ echoed through the classroom.

No one moved for what seemed like a long time, until suddenly, the lead bully slowly reached up to his stinging red cheek, holding where Ayumi had struck him. She stood in front of him, panting with her hand still raised where she had backhanded him; then, with hot tears streaming down her face, she grabbed the boy by the front of the shirt.

"How _dare_ you," she hissed at him. "What makes you think you have the right?" she growled. The boys cowered before the furious teacher, both fearful of her anger and stunned by her surprising amount of emotion. She looked both angry and sad, crying as she scolded them. "You should _never, ever_ take such a thing lightly! Do you have any _idea_ what it's like to lose your mother?" The boys all shook their heads in unison, trembling. "Of course you don't- and you have the _gall_ to pick on a little boy, who's just trying to be happy, who's just trying to make it in this _cruel, heartless world_? You have no idea what it feels like, lying awake and cursing the world and everything in it because it has taken something precious from you! You have no idea what it's like, kneeling in front of a gravestone wishing for something that will never be! You have no idea what death is like! _You sniveling brats don't have a damn clue_!"

As she went on, her voice rose higher and higher, until she was shrieking shrilly. Everyone in the room huddled down in the face of the normally kind woman's fury, trembling at the sight. Suddenly, as if she had realized the transgression she had committed, she gasped and abruptly released the boy. She took a shaky step back, holding a hand to her mouth and turning her back to the group of teary-eyed bullies. "Get out of my sight," she hissed. "I hope you have learned your lessons. Go home… And tell your mothers you love them," she whispered, more softly. They nodded vigorously, tripping over one another as they hurried to escape the woman lest her anger return. Suddenly exhausted, Ayumi leaned against one of the desks, her shoulders gently shaking. The students all stared, quite unsure what to do for their emotional teacher.

"Miss Ayumi?" Inojin suddenly whispered, taking a tentative step forward to tug lightly on the hem of her dress. She jumped slightly, jerked out of her own misery, and looked down over her shoulder at him. She then smiled weakly and crouched down, taking out a handkerchief to dab lightly at the boy's swollen lip. Inojin winced lightly, but did not pull back.

"I'm so sorry that you all had to see that," she murmured, her hand falling and her head bowing. She held the side of her head, as if suddenly burdened. "Please forgive me… Is anyone else hurt?" she asked as she looked wearily around the classroom. Still rubbing his jaw, Boruto shrugged lightly.

"It's no big deal. They really picked on Shikadai though," he answered. Shikadai looked up tearfully as Ayumi's gaze turned on him, and he was relieved to find that her eyes were the same, soft and full of warmth- not fiery and hard like they had been mere moments ago. He sniffled and tried to seem dignified as she stood and walked over to him, crouching down to inspect his injuries. She gently inspected his bruised knee, causing him to wince in pain.

"I'm sorry. I should have arrived sooner…" she sighed heavily as she looked down sadly at Shikadai. The boy just sniffled in response, wiping his runny nose with his sleeve. Before she could say anything more, the final bell rang shrilly above their heads, signaling the end of the school day. None of the students moved, however, until she announced, "You may all go now. Please, be careful on your way home, all of you." Reluctantly, they marched out of the school building, casting worried glances over their shoulders at their distraught teacher. Distracted, Ayumi rose, sniffling as she turned her back and walked down to her desk.

"Miss Ayumi?" Shikadai inquired as he pulled himself to his feet, peering around the edge of the desks down to the front of the classroom. Ayumi was muttering under her breath, searching vigorously through her desk drawers. When he did not receive a response, he blinked and eased his way down the steps, pain shooting through his knee with every stair.

"Where did I put those bandages? I know I have them!" she cried angrily as she slammed a drawer shut and ripped open another, rifling violently through its contents. Timidly, Shikadai reached into the drawer to retrieve the roll of bandages, bouncing around in plain sight. Halting her movement, she stared down at the roll before sighing deeply and flopping down into her chair and smiling sadly at him. "Thank you. Funny how when you're looking for something, it can be right in your face and you can't find it. Now, let's see that knee of yours," she said as she gently took the bandages and unrolled them. She smeared some medicine on the inside before sticking an adhesive bandage onto his knee, then wrapped it tightly to keep it in place. When she was finished, he gave it an experimental bend, finding that the pain had lessened significantly; when he looked up to thank her, however, he found her staring out of the window with fresh tears in her eyes.

"Miss Ayumi, don't cry," he frowned as he wrapped his arms around her legs, propping his chin onto her knees as he gazed up at her sadly. She gasped quietly and looked down at him, then smiled shakily.

"Yes, you're right. I have to get you home, don't I?" she mused, wiping away tears with the back of her hand. Her expression remained sad, however, as she gently took his hand and began leading him out of the school building. As he plodded along beside her, feeling her fingers tremble in his own, he frowned.

 _I really hope Miss Ayumi is okay. I don't want her to be sad. Maybe Daddy can make her feel better?_


	18. Chapter 17: Ayumi's Pain

Shikamaru sighed heavily as he stepped outside of the mission assignment room, rolling his stiff shoulders and attempting to crack his neck as he began walking down the corridor. Rather than toiling away in the library as usual, he had helped assign missions that day, a task that proved to be more trouble than it should be. Many Genin were eager to prove their worth, and were consistently dissatisfied with their D-rank mission assignments, leading to much arguing and compromising. It was a tiring job, and Shikamaru was glad that he was given permission to leave considering his son had just arrived into the building. Despite his exhaustion, the thought of seeing Ayumi put a smile on his face, and he found himself quickening his pace.

"Daddy! What took you so long?" Shikadai whined loudly as Shikamaru entered the room that they had been designated to wait in. Without waiting for an answer, his son beamed and ran up to him, wrapping his arms about his father's knees. "You're so old and slow."

"I am not!" Shikamaru laughed as he bent down to slip his hands under Shikadai's arms and lift him from the ground. Giggling, his son hugged him around the neck and smiled widely. He then glanced out of his peripheral vision at the teacher, who was oddly quiet.

"Daddy, you need to talk to Miss Ayumi," he whispered. By the time his son made the suggestion, however, Shikamaru was already lowering him to the ground with a deeply concerned expression on his face.

Ayumi was staring out of the window silently, sitting calmly in a chair at a table. Normally such a thing would not warrant such a reaction, but there was a certain stiffness about her posture that had alerted him- the way her shoulders were hunched and how she was tightly gripping the hem of her dress, so tightly that her knuckles were white. As Shikamaru timidly stepped forward, he noticed the tear stains on her cheeks, and how her eyes were puffy and red. What scared him the most, though, was the dead look in her eyes- no sadness, no happiness, nothing. Just empty, as she gazed out the window into the village beyond.

"Shikadai. Step outside for a moment, okay?" he commanded his son softly. Staring worriedly at his beloved teacher, he nevertheless obediently exited the room, shutting the door softly behind him. Shikamaru stepped over to the table, hesitating for a moment to ponder how to approach the obviously distraught woman. He gently pulled the empty chair closer, sitting down beside the woman he loved to gently wrap her hands in his own. It was at his touch that she finally stirred, and she turned to look at him with unfocused eyes. Gradually, life filled them again, but the hazel depths weren't full of life and joy; instead, they were dark pools of misery.

"Shikamaru," she murmured. Her gaze dropped to her lap, but Shikamaru wasn't going to be evaded. He reached up to put a finger beneath her chin and slowly lifted her face so that she was forced to look him in the eyes.

"Ayumi. What happened?" he demanded sternly. He saw her bottom lip quiver, and she looked everywhere else but him. He felt her grip tighten around her dress, bunching up the soft fabric as she kneaded it nervously. She began trembling, and fresh tears formed in the corners of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and splashing onto Shikamaru's hand, which was still holding both her own.

"I thought I was over it," she finally choked out, "but I'm not." Perplexed, Shikamaru patiently waited for the woman to gather her thoughts so she could relate to him the source of her distress. The words suddenly began spilling out of her, throwing him off slightly. "It was these boys, they snuck into the class while I was away, and they started bullying the children. Shikadai, they pushed him down and he hit his knee, and they hit Inojin and Boruto, but it was the _things_ they said, the _awful_ , _evil_ things. They were making fun of Shikadai, about his mother, and I just _lost_ it. One of them- I hit one of them, and I've never hit a child before, Shikamaru, oh, I would _never_ \- but I did. I did," she gasped, hanging her head as her shoulders shook with heavy sobs. She took a deep breath, trying to force out the rest, but Shikamaru didn't want to force her to go on. It was too painful to watch, seeing the normally happily girl broken down like this.

"Hey," he murmured as he moved the hand under her chin around her neck to the back of her head. He pulled her forward so her forehead was resting against his shoulder. He didn't say anything else, but she seemed to understand; she grabbed onto him, sobbing uncontrollably as he gently held her in his arms. Sighing, he propped his chin on the top of her head and stroked her hair, gently winding his fingers through the chestnut strands. He had never been good with women, particularly crying women, but somehow it just felt like the right thing to do. _I hope I never have to see her this way again,_ he thought miserably as he felt her quake. Every shake of her body, every gasp of breath, every tear that stained his uniform- it felt like his heart was ripping apart slowly. "It'll be all right," he whispered gently in her ear, half trying to convince himself. _Whatever did this to you, I won't let it hurt you anymore._

Shikamaru wasn't sure how long she cried, but eventually her sobs quieted and her tears ceased falling. She leaned against him, breathing slowly with the occasional hiccup, just resting against him. Shikamaru continued running his fingers through her hair in a reassuring motion, waiting for the woman to continue.

"That boy… He told Shikadai that I can't replace his dead mother," she revealed. Shikamaru tensed slightly, feeling his blood boil with anger at the thought of a little punk tormenting his son that way. He kept himself from saying anything, swallowing the anger that rose to allow her to resume speaking. "Shikadai… Oh, Shikamaru, you should have seen the look on his face. Even now, I just see it in my mind… I've never seen such a heartbroken look on a child." She gripped tighter onto his shirt, burying her face into his shoulder as if in an attempt to chase the image away. She trembled slightly in horror, but continued. "I thought I would never, ever see that look again," she exhaled shakily. It was then that Shikamaru was taken completely by surprise, and could not hold his silence.

"Again?" he inquired. She nodded, rubbing lingering tears across the sleeve of his shirt.

"Again," she repeated. "The last time I saw that look, I was looking in the mirror," she explained quietly. Shikamaru blinked, struggling to process what the woman was saying. What she was telling him was obvious, but yet she was going in such a roundabout way of it. _"I think she's alone,"_ Shikadai's voice chimed in his head. Subconsciously, he tightened his hold around the upset teacher. "It wasn't long after I left the Ninja Academy that I lost my father," she choked out finally. "He died during a raid on a royal caravan he was escorting. They didn't recover his body, because it had been buried in a landslide that was triggered by the enemy." As she was explaining it, all the emotion left her voice, as if she were reciting from memory an emotionless report. "My mother… My mother refused to believe it. She remained firm that he was alive. She didn't even go to the funeral."

 _Why do I have the feeling this story gets worse?_ Shikamaru thought with foreboding. As he thought it, Ayumi began trembling more violently, retreating from the awful memories by pressing further against him. She was gripping him so tightly that he could feel her fingernails digging into his skin, but he hardly cared. All he could think about was how fragile and broken she looked, how his lovely, happy Ayumi had been reduced to _this_. Unable to comfort her, he just leaned his head against hers, closing his eyes as he listened to the rest of her miserable tale.

"She went mad," she whispered hoarsely. "At first, it wasn't that noticeable- she refused to move his things, slept with a photo of him at night- normal things. But then she began talking when no one was there, laughing at jokes no one told, _insisting_ he was there with us. She built this… this dummy out of pillows, put it in his clothes, and she would talk to it, and make me talk to it… It was always there, at dinner, in the living room, at her side… I watched her spiral into madness, and I couldn't do a thing about it. That went on for three years," she gasped. She had begun crying again. Shikamaru didn't blame her; just hearing the tale unsettled him greatly. He could not imagine having to live it.

"Ayumi," he started, but he could not find the words. How could he? What could he say to make any of that better? He was at a loss- but she wasn't finished.

"I thought I could save her. I thought if I got rid of it, she would see, and everything would be normal again," she continued. She was breathing hard and speaking fast, as if forcing the words out before she could withdraw within herself once more, forcing the memories deep into her mind where they would never see the light. "I took it, and I burned it, while she was away… Or at least, that's what I thought. She came home early, and she found what I was doing… The expression she made… It was terrifying. It was like it wasn't even her… She was completely unhinged. Oh, Shikamaru, I can't even describe it…"

"You don't have to," he murmured as he rubbed her back softly. Shikamaru had seen many horrifying things in his life, but he could not imagine the terror she had felt that day. He didn't want to.

"That was the end," she uttered quietly. "It was already burning when she came home, and she… she… She _jumped_ into the fire, screaming, _begging_ me for help, to save him, but all I could do was watch. She was mad, holding onto him and trying to drag him out of the fire, and all she said to me was, ' _You killed him! You killed him! Look at what you've done!_ ' She died that day." She took a shaky breath, struggling to continue. "A lot of people came and went. I don't remember much. I was covered in soot, so one of them took me to the bathroom to clean me off. All I remember is staring into the mirror with that expression. That _same, horrible_ look…" she trailed off, and Shikamaru could tell that she was finally finished.

"Ayumi," he sighed heavily, shifting her forward so she would look him in the face again. She looked tired all of a sudden, as if revealing such a heavy burden had exhausted her. He cupped his face in his hands, and she closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. "I'm so sorry that happened to you." He knew the pain of losing someone you loved all too well; to this day, Asuma's murder by the Akatsuki and his father's death in the war still haunted him, and he'd find himself breaking down when he was alone when his mind strayed that far. Temari's death plagued him further. Not a moment went by that his mind didn't wander to her. It was something that never left you; you could shove it aside for a while, but no amount of ninja training in the world could give you the power to make it go away. "I want to tell you that it will get better. I want to, so badly, but I can't," he sighed and pressed his forehead against hers. She opened her eyes slightly, staring at him with tear-heavy lashes. "I can't take your pain away," he murmured gently, "but I can share it, if only for a little while. Just like you've done with mine."

"Shikamaru," she breathed, but before she could say anything more, he covered her lips with his own. She didn't try to resist him, but melted in his arms, and he felt the tears roll down her cheeks and smudge against his own. When he broke away from her, she threw her arms around him and buried her face into his neck. "Thank you," she murmured. "Thank you." He smiled slightly and leaned against her, pressing a kiss against her temple.

"I think we've kept Shikadai waiting long enough," he mused coyly. No doubt, his son was outside stomping his feet with impatience and bugging anyone who passed by. "What do you say I walk you home? We can hit Ichiraku on the way," he suggested, causing Ayumi to laugh and nod her head. As she pulled back, he saw that familiar smile on her lips, that familiar joy in her eyes, and he naturally took her hand in his as he stood from the chair, pulling her up and leading her to the door.

He knew he could never take her pain away, just like she could never take his. It would haunt them both, remaining in their hearts forever; but together, they could conquer it all, all the hurt, all the pain, and they'd come out happier than they ever had been.


	19. Chapter 18: Ayumi and Shikadai

As the four boys came shuffling into the classroom as the children were being dismissed, looking particularly nervous as they were herded along by a cross-looking Shino, Ayumi could not have been more perplexed. She waited patiently with slightly wide eyes beside her desk, dipping her head politely to Shino as he descended the stairs with his four charges. They all came to a halt in front of her, and she looked at the man for an explanation.

"Hello, Shino. What can I do for you?" she inquired.

"It's not what you can do for me," he answered simply with a pointed look at the ringleader, the young boy who had shredded Shikadai's drawing and beaten the defenseless boy up. The aforementioned five-year-old hovered behind Ayumi, peering around her legs and staring apprehensively at the gang of bullies. Reassuringly, she patted his head. "It's what my students can do for you." A heavy silence hung in the air, and so Shino gave the head bully a light shove from behind; he stumbled forward, nearly crashing into the startled teacher, but he regained his balance and glanced sheepishly up at her.

"I, uh…" he began unsurely, then abruptly bowed deeply to the woman. The three other boys followed suit. "We're so sorry!" they cried in unison, bowing their heads deeper in shame. Blinking with surprise, Ayumi was stricken silent for a good few moments before she was able to find her words.

"Oh, is that what this is about?" she chuckled lightly. Though the episode had upset her greatly, she had been rather content with the scolding she had given the group, and had not been expecting an apology. Certain it was Shino's doing, she gave him a gracious glance before waving a hand dismissively. "It's quite all right, as long as the four of you have learned your lessons and understand it was wrong for you to do." They peered up at her, the relief clear on their young faces. "However, I think you need to apologize to someone else as well," she added sternly as she urged Shikadai forward. Grumpily, he stared up at his attackers. They all looked between each other, then bowed once more.

"We're sorry for bullying you," the lead bully declared sincerely, and his companions announced similar apologies. The boy then straightened, fishing something out of the small pouch containing his ninja gear. "Here. I tried my best to fix it," he mumbled shyly as he unfolded a piece of paper covered with tape. Shikadai's eyes widened as he took the gift in his hands. It was the drawing he had made of his beloved teacher, all the shreds crudely taped together to reform the original image. Though it was a far cry from the beautiful rendition of the woman he had originally created, he supposed it was better than nothing, and beamed up at the older boy.

"I forgive you," he smiled genuinely, quite content to let the matter drop at the return of his hard work and the heartfelt apology. Satisfied, he turned on his heel and held up the drawing for his teacher to take. "I made it for you," he grinned happily as she inspected it proudly. Smiling softly, Ayumi thanked him and took the drawing from the little boy's hands, turning back to Shino.

"Well, now that the matter is settled, I should make sure all my children get home safely. Thank you, Shino," she told him. The quiet sensei dipped his head at her before herding his students along their way, giving the lead bully a light bonk to the head and some choice words for good measure. _He's a good teacher,_ she thought in amusement as she grabbed her charge's hand and led him out into the yard, where only a few students lingered waiting on their parents. Standing amongst them and chatting idly to one of the fathers was Shikamaru, and the sight of him sent Ayumi's heart fluttering. Shikadai squealed in delight and ran up to his father, interrupting the man during his conversation.

"Daddy!" he cried as he threw himself at his father, nearly bowling Shikamaru over as he collided with his middle. Laughing, Shikamaru wrapped his arms tightly around his son.

"Oh, hey. I was wondering what was taking so long," he mused as he planted a kiss on top of Shikadai's head, turning as Ayumi walked across the yard towards him.

"Just some last-minute business," she answered with a knowing wink at Shikadai. The boy giggled, demanding his father pick him up; the man did as ordered, bidding farewell to his companion before closing the short distance between himself and Ayumi and kissing her passionately. "Shikamaru!" she gasped, blushing deeply and forcing himself away from his tantalizing lips. "Not in front of my students!" she whined with an embarrassed glance; indeed, they were staring wide-eyed at the open display, then began giggling to each other.

"Whaaaaaaaat?" he complained with a large smile, thoroughly enjoying her mortification. "I can't help it," he mused as he leaned in for another. Shikadai stuck out his tongue in disgust as Shikamaru once again claimed Ayumi's mouth, and she found herself helpless against him. _Damn this man,_ she thought as her heart pounded in her chest and her head swam, overwhelmed by just being so close to him. _He makes me feel like a giggly teenage girl!_

"Daddy, that's gross. Stop it!" Shikadai wailed, pounding his fists against Shikamaru's chest and wriggling around in his father's arms. Laughing, the ninja conceded and retreated, adjusting the young, pouty boy in his arms. Ayumi tried unsuccessfully to douse the fire in her cheeks, and decided to change the subject before Shikamaru got any more bright ideas.

"So, you managed to come pick him up today?" she asked, a bit more breathless than she would prefer. As she posed the innocent question, Shikamaru seemed to get ahold of himself and return to his usual businesslike demeanor.

"Oh, yes. I had a favor to ask of you, Ayumi- that's part of the reason I'm here," he clarified. "I would like you to watch Shikadai for me for a few days. I leave in a few hours on a mission, and need someone to take care of him while I am gone," he explained. Shikadai began whining, clinging to his beloved father and begging him not to go. Meanwhile, Ayumi was positively delighted, but also madly curious.

"What about Ino or Choji?" she inquired. They had been lifelong friends, and it didn't insult Ayumi to believe that he would choose them over her as the temporary caretaker of his child.

"Choji and his wife are away on a mission as well, and so Ino and Sai are watching Chocho. I don't want to overburden them," he answered.

"I see. I would be delighted to watch him for you," she beamed happily. It was then that Shikadai ceased complaining, the result of the situation dawning on his little mind.

"Wait, I get to stay with Miss Ayumi?" he realized, then squealed with glee. "That's so awesome! It's gonna be so much fun! We'll plant flowers and make cookies, and I can stay up late!" he beamed devilishly as he thought up all the mischievous things he believed he could do while in the hands of the capable teacher. Laughing, she batted him on the ear playfully.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Shikadai!" she giggled. As the matter was settled, Shikamaru escorted her home, stealing several kisses, much to both her enjoyment and her embarrassment. When they arrived to the teacher's lovely abode, Shikamaru lowered his son to the ground and crouched down in front of him.

"Now, you be good for Miss Ayumi. I'll be back in a few days," he told him before wrapping him in a hug. Once again saddened by his father's departure, Shikadai sniffled and began to cry slightly, gripping onto his father tightly and whimpering, "Do you have to go?" "I'm afraid so. Don't worry. I'll be back as soon as I can," he reassured him before kissing his forehead and rising to his feet. Ayumi stood in the doorway, unsure how she felt about the matter. On the one hand, Shikamaru was an esteemed ninja and definitely knew how to take care of himself, and now that the war was far behind them, hardly any missions were truly dangerous these days; yet, worry still ate away at her heart, as the stories she'd heard of the vicious gang prowling the land aroused her anxiety. Sensing her discomfort, he walked over to her and gently took her hands in his, rubbing them soothingly with his thumbs. "I'll be fine," he told her softly.

"I know," she sighed lightly, looking up into his dark eyes, "but I'll still worry." Smiling at that, Shikamaru lowered his head to kiss her softly, and this time Ayumi accepted it without question. Closing her eyes, she savored the taste of his mouth against hers, the warmth of his body only inches away, the texture of his hands gently caressing her own, as if she would never feel them again. It was several seconds before they parted, and as Shikamaru pulled back, she could see the longing feeling in his eyes, the certainty that he did not want to let her go. Smiling weakly, he poked her in the forehead. "Don't spoil him too much," he teased. His voice was terse with pain.

"I won't," she chuckled in response, then sighed and dropped her gaze to their still interlocked hands. "You should go," she murmured. _If you kiss me again, I won't let you leave,_ she added silently. She watched sadly as Shikamaru's hands slipped from hers. The ninja paused only to give his son one last hug before disappearing down the street with only a wave. Sighing, Ayumi leaned into the doorway and watched him grow smaller and smaller against the horizon, until he turned a corner and disappeared from her sight. She stared at the place he had vanished, unsure just what emotion she was feeling, until Shikadai plodded over to her and tugged on the hem of her dress.

"Miss Ayumi? Can we go inside now?" he asked.

"Oh, of course," she gasped lightly, pulled out of her thoughts. Her mood improved at the thought of babysitting the wonderful child, she beamed as she took his hand and led him into the house. With one last glance over her shoulder, she closed the door behind them.

Shikamaru was pushed to the back of her mind as the night went on, as Shikadai gave her plenty to do. The first thing the little boy wanted to do was assist her in the garden before the sun faded, so soon they were covered in soil and grass and toiling away in her prized yard. The daffodils he and Inojin planted were growing steadily, and would soon be in bloom; he was also delighted to find that his little weed patch by the door was flourishing. He helped her trim the hedges and water her menagerie of colorful plants as the sun began to sink below the sky, and just as it dipped below the horizon they returned into the house, dragging half the garden in with them.

After that Ayumi had a time attempting to convince Shikadai to get into the bath, and ended up in a frantic chase after the half-naked little boy around her house. Papers were scattered, rugs were shifted, and pillows were thrown as the two of them raced across the wooden floor, until finally she apprehended the little scoundrel and managed to plop him into the lovely bubble bath she had prepared for him, clothes and all. Of course, when she returned to see if he was ready to finish she found her bathroom in a complete state of disarray, as Shikadai had thought up a game where he was a giant monster and was currently waging war against her shampoo bottles, naked as the day he was born and flinging soap bubbles everywhere.

"Are you this unruly with your father?" she laughed as she wrangled him into a towel, drying him off. He wriggled his head free, his dark hair sticking up in various places and a stupid grin on his face.

"Of course!" he snickered. "Daddy loves to play chase!" Ayumi found that heartwarming, imagining a laughing Shikamaru chasing the boy this way and that.

After she had gotten him dressed in pajamas and fed him dinner, she consented to baking cookies before he went to bed. Choosing an interesting recipe from one of her many cookbooks, she and Shikadai descended into the kitchen to begin preparations. Every time she turned around the boy was scooping dough from the bowl and gorging himself, and soon she was eating it right along with him. In the end they only ended up baking three-quarters of a batch, and were almost too stuffed with the uncooked confectionaries to enjoy their hard work.

"Miss Ayumi?" he yawned as she finished the last of the dishes. He was sitting at the table, with a half-finished cookie in one hand and a glass of milk in the other. His eyes were drooping, as the excitement of the day had finally caught up with him. Smiling as she wiped her hands on a towel, she walked over as he sleepily attempted to finish of his treat. "Today was fun," he smiled up at her.

"Yes, it was. Now, however, it is time to get you to bed," she mused as she swept away a few crumbs on the table. He stuffed the rest of the cookie into his mouth and drained the glass before holding his arms above his head to be picked up. The teacher obliged, pulling the exhausted boy into her arms. Immediately he rested his head on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her neck, snuggling into her with a satisfied sigh. Stroking the back of his head softly, Ayumi gently carried him to the spare bedroom and lowered him down into the bed. "Do you think Daddy will be okay?" He asked quietly as Ayumi drew the covers over him and tucked him in.

"Oh, yes. Your father is a very capable ninja," she answered honestly. "Don't you worry. He'll be back in no time, fit as a fiddle." Shikadai smiled contently up at her, then yawned again and rolled onto his side.

"Goodnight, Miss Ayumi. I love you," he murmured as he drifted off. Though the comment was probably harmless and a force of habit for the child, Ayumi's heart skipped a beat and she felt frozen. Complex feeling swirled within her as she gazed down at the sleeping boy: pride, happiness, apprehension, _love. I love this boy like my own,_ she realized. _I am his teacher, and I should not feel this way, yet I do… Because I love his father, too._ Smiling slightly to herself, she made sure Shikadai was as comfortable as could be before flipping off the light and exiting the room. Suddenly awake, she walked into the living room and sat down to read a book. She found that she could not focus, however. Something in her had been stirred, and she wandered restlessly over to the window, staring up at the starry night sky. _I wonder if Shikamaru can see this same sky?_ She wondered, leaning her forehead against the cool glass.

 _Shikamaru… Please be safe. Come back to him._

 _Come back to me._


	20. Chapter 19: Ayumi's Vow

"Miss Ayumi! Look! Look!" Shikadai squealed as he ran around the side of the house to his beloved teacher, who was kneeling down beside a patch of violets to gently uproot the weeds so the little boy could add them to his growing weed garden. It had been three days since Shikamaru had asked her to watch his son while he was away on a mission, and the woman had to admit that it was more delightful having the child around than she ever could have imagined. She loved children; she was a teacher for a reason, but having the little boy brighten up her household brought more joy to her heart than she had ever felt. Smiling, she brushed dirt onto her gardening apron and glanced up at the breathless boy charged around the corner. "Come see, come see!" he demanded as he tugged on her arm.

"What is it so suddenly?" she laughed, but gladly stood up and allowed the five-year-old to lead her back around the side of the house. He brought her to the group of growing daffodils that he and Inojin had planted several weeks before, when Shikamaru had brought his friends to repair the storm damage to her roof. None of them had even begun to bud yet, but the stalks were growing taller with each passing day, and the gardener was hoping they would begin to bud by the time the winter weather began to really settle in. Really, they had been planted a little early, but Ayumi didn't have the heart to refuse the boys' demands. Grinning ecstatically, he pointed eagerly in the middle of the patch.

"Look there! Do you see it? Do you see it?" he cried breathlessly. The little boy was so excited that he was hopping up and down, screeching with delight. Amused, Ayumi crouched down and moved a few of the emerald-green stalks aside to peer at what the little boy was in such a fluster over.

"Oh, my. Yes, that is exciting!" she agreed when she saw it. After many weeks of dutiful tending and care, one of the shoots had formed a little bud. Shikadai clapped his hands together triumphantly, giggling.

"Ooh, I have to tell Inojin! When do you think it'll bloom, Miss Ayumi?" he asked curiously as the teacher retreated from the patch of flowers, settling the stalks back into their original positions.

"Hmm, it's difficult to say. The weather has to get a bit colder, definitely, but I don't think it'll be too long. At the very least, a few more months. By all rights, this little guy shouldn't have even sprouted a bud yet," she responded, and then laughed as the little boy began to pout.

"That's so long, though! Isn't it cold enough already?" he frowned, shivering as a cold wind blew across the garden. They were well into fall now, and the summer rains had dried up, leaving only chilling winds and cold sunlight. The leaves were beginning to change color, bursting with red and orange and gold, and falling steadily all over the village. Just the day before, she and Shikadai had awoken to find her yard covered in a layer of decaying leaves, and so they had grabbed a pair of rakes and descended up the mess to clear it up- pausing to jump in and scatter a few of the leaf piles for fun, of course. Ayumi laughed at his impatience and poked him in the nose, which was growing red with the cold.

"The golden rule of gardening is patience. Don't worry. As soon as one of them blooms, you will be the first to know," she promised and stood, brushing lingering dirt from her knees. "Now, let's get inside and get something warm to drink, hmm? Maybe a cookie?" she suggested, and the little boy's despondence was forgotten at the mention of food. She took him inside, and they warmed up with some hot chocolate and nibbled at the cookies they had baked a few nights earlier. As the child drained the dregs of his cup, he blinked when he caught sight of her calendar.

"Hey… Miss Ayumi?" he asked slowly, gently setting his cup down on the table. Abruptly, he looked very sad, and was staring down at his lap as he hesitated to ask her something. Perplexed at his sudden mood change, she pulled her chair closer to him and cocked her head to the side, indicating that she was listening. "Would you… Would you take me to see my mama's grave?" he asked. His voice was barely more than a whisper, and he was swinging his legs, overcome with nervous energy. He broke the cookie in half, then in quarters, not even bothering to eat it. "We go to her grave every year, on this day," he explained to her. "Daddy isn't here, but…"

"I understand," Ayumi smiled gently, caressing the boy's hair reassuringly. "I would be happy to take you to see her, Shikadai. We can go right now, if you want to," she offered, and she was happy to see that the boy returned to his normally bright, happy self. His bright blue eyes lit up, and he learned forward slightly as he raised his head to look up at her.

"Really? We can?" he gasped.

"Of course! Finish that cookie and we'll stop by Ino's to get some flowers for her," she nodded. Shikadai promptly shoved the entire of the cookie in his mouth, and for a good moment the teacher was terrified he might choke as he scarfed it down. Grinning with chocolate and crumbs smeared around his lips, he hopped down from the chair and struggled into his coat. "Shikadai!" she laughed and crouched down to help him. "That one is where your arm goes, silly," she chuckled as the boy tottered around in circles trying to pull the coat over his head. Grabbing him and making him stand still, she fixed the coat and buttoned it up for him.

"Sorry. I just got so excited all of a sudden," he blushed. She just shook her head at him and retrieved a dish towel, dampening it to wipe the remnants of his cookie from his face. He shifted around restlessly as Ayumi slipped into her coat, and then beamed up at her as she took his hand and escorted him out the house, out into the streets of Konoha.

The boy _was_ excited, much more than she had ever seen him. He was jogging along, constantly tugging on her arm and demanding they walk faster. Ayumi was hard-pressed to oblige his commands, breathless from breathing in the cold autumn air and attempting to move around the large crowd of daily traffic through the center of the city. Shikadai weaved through the adults determinedly, and the poor teacher had to apologize to a great many people she unintentionally bumped into; yet, she did not have the heart to scold the child, as she could tell how important the visit to his mother's grave was to him. She just trucked along after him, huffing and puffing as she trotted through the streets, until they finally reached Yamanaka Flowers.

"Hello!" called a familiar voice as Shikadai led Ayumi inside, a little bell signaling their arrival. Panting from effort, Ayumi glanced around the shop as Shikadai disappeared into the many rows of flowers. It seemed Ino had shifted her merchandise to cater to the fall, with the only lingering summer sets consisting of must-haves like roses. The blonde woman popped in from the back room, wiping dirt from her hands, and grinned widely when she noticed it was her famous customer and her best friend's girlfriend. "Oh, hello Ayumi! What brings you stopping by? Need some more fertilizer?" she inquired as she crossed the wooden floor to hug her.

"No, I brought Shikadai to get some flowers," she answered as she hugged her friend, then peered around the shop to pinpoint where the little rascal had run off to. He was currently attempting to climb one of the shelves to get a better look at an arrangement, and was teetering unsteadily on a footstool. "Oh! Be careful!" she cried as he tipped backwards, and she barely had time to move before Sai appeared behind him, catching the boy under his arms. Ayumi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Whoa!" Shikadai giggled as he dangled in the air, held up by the awkward man like some kind of pound puppy. He kicked his legs, snickering. "Thanks, Mr. Sai," he beamed as the dark-haired ninja set him down safely on the floor.

"You should be more careful," was all Sai said before waving cheerfully to Ayumi. Feeling awkward that Ino's husband had to rescue her charge from certain disaster, she just waved back with a strained smile. Inojin and Chocho, upon hearing the voice of their constant companion, came running out of the back of the store and began to badger Shikadai with questions.

"Hey, what's up, Shikadai? Is your dad back yet?" Inojin inquired.

"Probably not. Mine isn't back yet, either," Chocho moped, and then twirled primly to show of the flower pinned in her hair, probably placed there by Ino at the girl's insistence. "Isn't it pretty? It's a carnation," she beamed. "Hey, wanna go eat some potato chips?"

"I can't," Shikadai huffed, shoving off his friends to stand on his tip-toes and inspect another flower arrangement. "I have something very important to do."

"Is it that time of the year again already?" Ayumi heard Sai mutter to his wife, and the teacher glanced back over her shoulder to see the blonde kunoichi nodding sadly. Ayumi was not quite sure just what the exact occasion regarding Temari- a birthday, perhaps, or the day she and Shikamaru met- but whatever it was, it was deserving of remembrance. Shikadai wandered the store, searching for the perfect bouquet as a gift to his deceased mother, while the three adults looked on with similar pained expressions.

"Ayumi," Ino said abruptly, and the woman turned her attention away from the little boy to face her. "I wanted to thank you." Ayumi blushed brightly, not sure what she deserved gratitude for. "Just a few months ago, Shikamaru was in a dark place. He didn't enjoy anything anymore, and he and Shikadai were steadily growing apart. Choji and I could only watch as he got worse," she sighed sadly. "But then you came, and slowly started putting things back together again. I wanted to thank you, for bringing back the Shikamaru we know and love." As both she and Sai smiled at her, Ayumi was quite unsure how to feel- happy, embarrassed, humble. She stumbled over her thoughts as she searched for the right words to say.

"Shikamaru has helped me as much as I have helped him," she responded finally with a shy smile. "I've only done what I believed to be right. You don't have to thank me for that." Before they could say anything else, Shikadai came careening through the store, holding a large bouquet nearly as big as he was. It was a collection of pretty blue and white flowers, accented with bunches of lavender.

"This one! This one!" he demanded breathlessly, thrusting it into Ayumi's hands. She teetered under the sudden weight of the arrangement, and it was so bulky that it was difficult to hold in her hands. She forced herself not to check the price tag as she turned around and peered through the flowers at Ino, who just smiled knowingly at her.

"Get out of here," she waved dismissively as Ayumi tried to dig into her purse to pay. "I never charge Shikamaru, and I'm not gonna charge you." Immensely grateful, the teacher thanked her again and again up to the point that she was leading Shikadai out of the door, and as soon as they were back into the brisk fall air, she released a heavy sigh. _She really is too good to me, all for Shikamaru's sake. I really haven't done anything so special that I deserve such good treatment,_ she frowned as she began leading the boy to the cemetery. _It's good to know, at least, that Shikamaru has such wonderful friends._

As the man wandered into her mind, she found herself growing slightly concerned of his extended absence. He warned her he would be gone several days, but she was not used to his lack of presence, and she worried for his safety. Though he was normally cool and calculating, she knew he could be reckless, and fretted that he had landed himself in some sort of trouble that was keeping him for so long. _You're worrying too much. He's one of the most powerful ninja in the village, second-hand to the Hokage. He will be just fine._ Still, as she and the boy traveled the roads of the village, her heart pounded in her chest with concern.

When they reached the entrance of the graveyard, Shikadai abruptly halted in his tracks.

"What is it?" Ayumi asked as she looked down at him. The boy was staring wide-eyed into the rows and rows of graves, and he was going pale. She could feel his little hand trembling inside of hers.

"Suddenly, I'm scared," he whispered. Tears began rolling down his cheeks, and he sniffled miserably, wiping them away with the back of a hand. "I don't know why," he mumbled as he tried to keep himself from crying, but that seemed to make it worse. As he stood there, close to bawling, Ayumi set the bouquet of flowers down on the ground and kneeled down to gently pull him into her arms.

"It's all right, Shikadai. It's okay to be scared," she told him softly as she held him close. "Everyone gets scared sometimes. You don't have to be afraid, though. I will be right beside you the entire time."

"What if she can't hear me?" he whispered fearfully, and Ayumi felt heartbroken for the child. _It's unfair that he has to suffer so young. He learned the taste of death much too early. He is far too young to understand it._

"She will," she promised, and he pulled back to gaze at her with teary, hopeful eyes. "She is probably listening to us right now," she smiled and glanced up at the sky, where a few clouds were trailing along. Shikadai glanced up at well, searching the sky. "She is always listening, Shikadai, and watching over you, protecting you. That's what a mother does."

"Like you?" he asked, and Ayumi's words faltered. Happiness and sadness and confusion burst inside of her, making a roiling, writhing storm that made her feel sick to her stomach. She opened her mouth and closed it again, unsure what to think or feel. Conflicted, she rose and picked up the bunch of flowers, then grabbed Shikadai's hand, harder than she meant to.

"Let's go see her. I'm sure she will be very happy," she said, her voice monotone and hoarse. Silently, she led the boy through the rows and rows of graves, mind whirling. _Don't think too much of it. He's only projecting his feelings towards his mother onto me. He can't_ _ **really**_ _think of me in that way, can he? He's confused because I am dating his father, that's all._

 _I can't replace her._

 _I can't hold a candle to her._

 _I'll never be as important as her._

Ayumi's mind was in such turmoil that she hardly noticed the figure standing at the destined grave until he dominated her vision, and she halted a few yards away, gasping as she realized someone was standing there. She tightened her grip on the bunch of flowers subconsciously, a lump forming in her throat as she gazed at the person standing there. Shikadai released her hand and walked over, hesitantly approaching the man who was kneeling before the grave, head bowed, a cigarette in his mouth.

"Daddy?" Shikadai asked hesitantly, and Shikamaru's head raised, pulled out of whatever conversation he was having with his deceased wife. The man smiled warmly but sadly, putting a hand on top of his son's head as he approached. "When did you get home? I missed you!" the boy cried as he flung himself into Shikamaru's chest, his voice muffled by the man's ninja gear.

"Ah, sorry. I just got here a few minutes ago. I thought I should come see her," he apologized, and then caught sight of the woman standing in his peripheral vision. Unsure what to do, Ayumi silently approached and gently laid the flowers down on the grave, then kneeled down and bent her head to pray. She could not think of anything to say, but pretended like she was to avoid speaking with the man when she was such an emotional wreck. "Thank you," he whispered. The sound of his voice sent electricity dancing through her nerves, and she bit down on her lip. "It means a lot that you would bring him."

"Of course," she responded simply, not opening her eyes. "It seemed so important to him." _I didn't think it would hurt this much._ At some point Shikadai had started crying, the brave façade he had put on dissolving. Ayumi opened her eyes, shoving all the confusion and hurt and strange feelings to the back of her mind as she smiled at Shikamaru. "It was only right to bring him." _Why is this getting to me so much? I don't understand it,_ she thought, frustrated with herself.

"Are you okay?" Shikamaru asked with narrowed eyes. She balked, embarrassed by her state of mind. _He wouldn't understand._

"Of course. More importantly, is Shikadai okay?" she changed the subject, leaning forward to gently caress the sobbing boy. He was just sniffling now, mumbling "Mama, mama" as he buried his face into his father's tear-stained vest. Shikamaru sighed and hugged him tight, staring at the gravestone.

"Even though he doesn't remember much, it still hurts him," he murmured quietly. "He hides it well, for a kid, but today is just the one day he can't hide it."

"Today?" she asked, not sure if she wished to know the answer.

"Today," Shikamaru breathed in sharply, "is the third anniversary of the day Temari died."

That's when he began to cry, and she began to cry, too. In silence, with the cold wind blowing, they just sat before the gray stone and let the tears run down their cheeks. Ayumi wasn't sure who she was crying for. Temari, lying buried in the ground several feet below, victim of a heartless world. The broken family, the man she loved and the son who looked to her as a mother. Herself, for her tormenting feelings and insecurities.

 _It's true. I will never be you, Temari,_ she whispered silently, suddenly finding her words. _Always, you will hold a place in their hearts that I cannot reach. Yet there is a reason I am sitting here today, beside them, beside you. You brought him to me, didn't you?_ All of a sudden, like new life had been breathed into her, she felt all the doubt washing away.

 _If this is what you ask of me, then I will do it. I will give them the happiness that you wanted to give them. I will be the mother you never got to be. I will love them, and cherish them, and protect them, like you do._

 _I can never be you, but I can be like you._

Ayumi wasn't sure if it was delirium or just the wind, but as she wrapped her arms around Shikamaru and Shikadai and held them close, she thought she heard someone whisper "Thank you."


	21. Chapter 20: A Surprising Mission

"Now, can anyone tell me-" Ayumi began, but paused mid-sentence as the door to her classroom suddenly swung open and a ninja she did not recognize came walking briskly down the steps. Still standing dumbfounded in front of the board, she quickly shut her mouth to retain some level of dignity as the young man stopped in front of her, bowing respectfully.

"Pardon the intrusion, miss. I have come deliver an urgent message from the Hokage. He requests you report to him as soon as possible," he reported to her, straightening back up to push his dark glasses up his face. Ayumi blinked rapidly, unsure of why on earth the Hokage would need any business with her. She nodded mutely, and the ninja bowed once more before vanishing in a cloud of smoke, nearly as quickly as he came. Still struggling to comprehend the strange situation, Ayumi absently smoothed the creases in her skirt uncomfortably.

"Well then, class, I suppose you are dismissed," she frowned, and she children jumped to her feet in a chorus of cheers and promptly scampered out of the classroom. Shikadai hopped down the stairs, peering up at her curiously as she struggled to gather her frazzled thoughts.

"Miss Ayumi? What about me?" he asked her with wide blue eyes. Pulled out of her fantasy land, she smiled gently. _Come on, Ayumi, focus. There are more important things to worry about,_ she reminded herself. Taking his hand, she led him up the stairs and out into the yard, where a few students were congregating and discussing their plans now that a majority of their afternoon was open.

"Shikadai, why don't you go to the shop with Inojin? I'm very likely to see your father at the Hokage's office, so I will tell him where you are," she told him, motioning to where Inojin and Chocho were chatting animatedly about something. The young boy nodded and released her hand to scamper happily over to his friends, and as she watched them leave, the nagging curiosity about the Hokage's summon began gnawing at the back of her mind. She rushed back into the schoolhouse to retrieve her things, then set off down the dirt streets towards the center of the village. As the Seventh's face loomed in the distance, clinging to the rock wall, she wondered what he required of her.

 _Perhaps it's a consultation? The Hokage has never asked me directly, though; usually it's the intelligence agency or someone of much lower rank… Perhaps my teaching has been brought into question? Why would he bother himself with something so trivial, though? Oh, I have no idea what this could be…_ she fretted as she strolled briskly down the street, her mind in the stormy clouds as she mulled over the summons. Before she knew it, she was standing at the door of the sizable building. Swallowed her anxiety, she entered the building. In no time at all, she was being escorted down the hallways by another unrecognizable ninja.

"One moment, please, I'll announce you to Lord Seventh," she told her kindly as they halted outside the office. As the young kunoichi ducked into the office, Ayumi found herself wondering if Shikamaru was inside, performing his daily duties as advisor to the Hokage. _That's not the important thing right now, Ayumi,_ she scolded herself, jumping as the happy-go-lucky ninja popped back out. "He's ready to see you!" she beamed, and Ayumi tentatively stepped inside the office. As the door closed behind her, she bowed respectfully to the leader of the village.

"Agh, Ayumi, you don't have to do that," Naruto flushed with embarrassment, waving his hand dismissively. Blushing slightly in embarrassment, she hastily straightened up and kneaded the hem of her skirt as she approached the desk. Shikamaru was indeed there, standing off to the side and looking at a document with a slightly dissatisfied expression. He caught her eye, and a smile appeared on his lips; the sight of her eased her tension, and she breathed deeply in and out before gazing levelly at the young Hokage. "I suppose you're wondering why I've summoned you of all people," Naruto mused, propping his cheek into his hand and tapping the eraser of a pencil on his desk repeatedly, a sign of his perpetual energy.

"I do admit that it surprised me, sir," she acknowledged politely. "I had to wonder what was so urgent that I had to dismiss my class and come right away."

"Believe me, I wouldn't interrupt your class if it wasn't important," he laughed and straightened up, shuffling the papers on his desk to retrieve a document. "The bottom line is, I need your help." The line threw her for a loop, and she could not help but stare at him, her mouth hanging open in shock.

" _My_ help?" She echoed, her voice several octaves higher than normal. She cleared her throat, blushing with mortification, and continued, "Wh-what can I assist you with?"

"Well, you are a practicing archaeologist, aren't you?" he frowned at her, and she nodded in affirmation. Though teaching had dominated her life for the past several years, on occasion she did offer her expertise to those who required it, and kept up her studies of history. "I'm sending you to the Land of Wind, to the Village Hidden in the Sand." _The Sand?_ She thought, and she felt excitement rushing through her. She had never had the pleasure to visit the Let's most trusted ally, but she had heard tales of the beautiful architecture, and had always wanted to experience a desert sunset.

"The Sand, sir?" She inquired, trying not to let her elation show. Naruto nodded, leaning back in his chair and swiveling slightly back and forth.

"The Sand has recently unearthed some ruins not far from the village, and have asked for assistance in excavating them," Shikamaru explained, tossing the document he had been scrutinizing onto a stack piling up on the Hokage's desk. "… That's the cover story, anyway."

"Cover story," Ayumi frowned, her elation replaced with hesitation. She glanced between Naruto and Shikamaru, and the apprehension in their faces deepened her concern. "What do you mean?"

"The Kazekage didn't initially ask for our help," Naruto sighed as he flipped the chair around to stare out of the wide window stretching out behind him. "They were excavating the ruins just fine, until…" he trailed off, and he took a deep breath before whirling back around to face her. "The bodies starting turning up."

" _Bodies?_ " She gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. Shikamaru nodded gravely, walking over to stand close to her. Just his presence close by was enough to calm her, but only just enough to keep her from beginning to panic. She swallowed her fear and bit down on her lip as Naruto scratched his head uncomfortably.

"Some of the excavation team began to go missing- ninjas, civilians, didn't matter. The men turned up dead deeper in the ruins. The women… they didn't find," he continued guardedly, proceeding slowly so as not to completely terrify the woman. Though he was treading carefully, Ayumi felt her body beginning to grow cold as she processed the chilling tale. "They found evidence of the ruins being recently occupied, sometimes for extended periods of time. They're massive, and like a labyrinth, and people are still going missing," he sighed heavily.

"We suspect that the human-trafficking group we have been hunting has taken up residence in the ruins, and it's serving as a base of operations, or maybe a rendezvous point," Shikamaru continued. "The Kazekage has requested our help in rooting out the outlaws, under the cover of further exploring the cave."

"I-I need to sit down," Ayumi whispered, feeling faint at the pressure of being a part of such a dangerous and critical mission. Shikamaru caught her under her arm as she began to fall to the side, and he gently eased her down into a chair. She hunched over, her entire body trembling as she struggled to breathe. _My chest is so tight, and I can't stop shaking,_ she thought. _I can't do something like this. There's no way! I'm just a teacher, not a ninja! How can they expect something like this of me?_ As she quaked with fear, she did not register Shikamaru crouching beside her until he reached up and cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently. Stunned by the sudden display of affection, she stared blankly at him as he pulled away, and reached up to gently brush a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Ayumi," he murmured quietly, and his deep voice sent her heart fluttering despite her fear. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to," he assured her.

"Then why ask me?" She frowned deeply. "I'm no ninja. Sure, I pulled that stunt at the Hokage Faces, but that was a one-time thing…"

"It's because you aren't a ninja that we're asking," he explained. "It would be suspicious if we brought someone who didn't know what they were doing. We're almost certain that there are spies among the individuals already investigating the ruins. If we did an undercover operation, we would be found out in a heartbeat." The explanation did little to alleviate her concerns, and she shifted back and forth in the chair, shaking here head and biting down on her lip.

"Shikamaru, I don't know if I can do this…" she whispered tearfully. She wanted to help, truly, but she had avoided the ninja world for a reason; the idea of being caught in a battle terrified her beyond reason, and even more so, they would be up against the cruel, heartless people who were responsible for slaughtering Temari. As the thought passed her mind, a sudden notion struck her. _Maybe that's exactly the reason to help them._ Shikamaru, still attempting to sway her, gently took her hands in his.

"Ayumi, you will be afforded every protection in our power. If it goes our way, you won't even see the slightest hint of battle while we're there," he pressed. _Okay, Ayumi. Calm down. Think clearly,_ she told herself, taking a few deep breaths and feeling the terror slowly dissipate. She then carefully considered his words, and her eyebrows rose.

"Wait… 'we'?" She frowned, and Shikamaru's lips curled upward in a smile.

"Yes. I'll be the one escorting you to the Sand, and your personal guard while the ruins are being excavated. In addition, when we reach the border a squad will be there to meet us, and there are several squads stationed at the ruins already," he explained, but Ayumi could care less about how many Sand ninja would be there. The entire ninja corps and the Kazekage himself could be there, and she wouldn't bat an eye. _Shikamaru… Will be with me,_ she thought, and she felt herself growing more at ease.

"Is that wise?" She asked. Though the idea of joining Shikamaru on a jaunt to the Sand, dangerous mission aside, was positively riveting, she had to consider the ramifications of sending the advisor to the Hokage and one of the most renowned ninja of the Leaf away from the village. "After all, Lord Seventh, he's your advisor."

"Yes, well, it's unfortunately the only logical conclusion we've come up with," Naruto groaned deeply, still swiveling uncomfortably in his chair. "It would be suspicious if we sent an entire squad for just an archaeologist, but on the other hand, on the off chance that a major conflict does erupt, we have to make sure that we send someone who is capable of holding his or her own in battle until back-up arrives. That doesn't leave many options."

"Furthermore, _I_ know the Village Hidden in the Sand almost better than anyone," Shikamaru continued. "I don't like leaving Naruto, since he's probably not liable to get any work done while I'm gone-" the dark-haired ninja gave a pointed glare at the powerful Hokage, who just smiled sheepishly and scratched at his cheek- "but I can't afford to leave you unprotected, either. This mission _must_ go smoothly."

"He was pretty insistent about it, actually," Naruto mused, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, and both she and Shikamaru went bright red.

"Don't get any funny ideas, Naruto. It has _nothing_ to do with that," Shikamaru snapped crossly. "Like I said, the mission has to go smoothly, and the best way to ensure that is if I do it myself." Muttering under his breath about the blonde man, he could not meet Ayumi's gaze, as the comment had embarrassed him. _I'm glad he'll be with me,_ she thought with a small smile, squeezing his hands gently.

"All right, then. I'll do it," she decided. _I'm afraid, but… I trust Shikamaru, and no one but me can do this. If I can help catch Temari's killer and give him some closure… I'll do everything in my power to make sure this goes well._ Shikamaru glanced up at her, slightly concerned.

"You're absolutely sure?" he clarified.

"Yes," she nodded determinedly. "I want to help. Besides, how many chances will I have to visit the Sand?" She added jokingly, and he smiled softly up at her, reaching up to caress her hair again. As they gazed into each other's eyes, their growing romantic mood was suddenly shattered by Naruto throwing his head back and groaning loudly, then making a motion as if he were throwing up. Irritated, Shikamaru whipped a kunai out of his pouch and threw it at the Hokage. The blonde man squeaked, ducking down under the desk; the sharp knife embedded itself into the chair, ripping the fabric and vibrating with force. Naruto 's head appeared over the edge of the desk, his eyes narrowed.

"I just replaced that chair!" he complained.

"You shouldn't have been acting immature, then!" Shikamaru snapped back.

"Well, don't be making bedroom eyes in my office! Go get a hotel or something!" Naruto retorted hotly, but they were both smirking at each other, so Ayumi knew it was all in jest. _They really are good friends, aren't they?_ She thought in amusement. She clapped her hands together, interrupting the playful banter.

"So! When do I leave?" She asked.

"Tomorrow morning," Naruto replied, and Ayumi's mouth fell open.

"Tomorrow? That's not much time! I need to make arrangements for my students-" she panicked.

"Already been done," Naruto informed, waving his hand dismissively.

"My garden-" she frowned.

"I've asked Ino to look after it," Shikamaru reassured her.

"Shikadai?" She asked, though she had a suspicion of the answer.

"Choji's gonna watch him," the dark-haired man smiled gently at her. _They have taken care of everything, it seems. They knew I would agree even before I did,_ she thought with a small smirk. "All you have to worry about is packing. Just the essentials," he told her, standing. Their hands were still clasped together, and he entwined their fingers as she rose from the chair and bowed politely to the Hokage.

"I told you not to do that," Naruto groaned slightly, but seemed immensely relieved that she had agreed to take on the task. "Thank you, Ayumi," he added as she made to leave.

"It's my pleasure," she responded. As mixture of nervousness and excitement was bubbling up inside of her, and after Shikamaru escorted her home, she found herself scampering around the house in a flurry, scrambling to find the necessary tomes and absorbing every ounce of knowledge she could on the Hidden Sand. She fell asleep sprawled on her couch, a book laying open on her lap and her backpack not far from her hand, and a smile playing over her lips.


	22. Chapter 21: I Will Protect You

Ayumi could not help but smile as she stood underneath the gate that marked the entrance to the city. She gripped the straps of her backpack tightly, brimming with excitement. _A mission to the Sand! Oh, I'm so excited!_ She thought joyfully as she glanced over her shoulder, looking for Shikamaru. She had already dropped by the schoolhouse to say farewell to her beloved children, and was now waiting for her escort to arrive. _I can't believe that Shikamaru is going to be with me!_ The thought of them being alone made her positively giddy. _Be serious, Ayumi! This is a dangerous mission! You can't have your head in the clouds!_ But when she heard his voice floating over the breeze, she felt her heart leap and her lips curl into a smile. She ran up to him as he came strolling up the path, dressed in his mission gear. _Oh, he looks so… Sexy…_ she thought dreamily.

"Hey. All ready to go?" he smiled down at her as he slid his hands on her waist, leaning down to kiss her lightly on the lips. She could not help but giggle like a teenage girl. _Oh, the way he makes me feel…_ she thought as her mind grew slightly fuzzy. She fought desperately against the urge to continue kissing him, and forced herself to pull away.

"Yes!" she nodded happily, turning to the side to show him her backpack. She had stuffed it with all the essentials she had thought necessary- a few books on the Sand and the surrounding area, water and food, and a small knife in case of an emergency. She knew that Shikamaru would protect her, of course, but it was always good to be prepared. As the reality that she was going on a big adventure to the Land of Wind hit her once more, she did a little happy dance. She blushed lightly as Shikamaru chuckled. "I'm sorry! I'm just so excited!" she admitted shyly. "I've never been out of the village before."

"I know," he smiled down at her. _Oh, what a beautiful smile he has…_ she thought, and then she looked into his dark eyes, and she forgot what she was thinking about in the first place. "Ayumi, we should probably get going," he mused softly down at her, but neither of them made any movement. Shikamaru smiled wider, leaning down to kiss her again. This time, she allowed herself to become lost in his lips, and her eyes drifted closed. She slid her arms around his neck and smiled as he pulled her up against him.

"Oh…" she couldn't help but whisper, his touch sending shivers up her spine. An awkward cough made her eyes shoot open, and she slowly turned her head to see the two gatekeepers smirking and snickering at them. "S-sorry," she stammered and ducked her head in mortification. Shikamaru began laughing, obviously amused by her embarrassment. "What?" she pouted.

"Nothing. It's just cute, seeing you all embarrassed," he mused.

"They were looking at us!" she protested. "Aren't _you_ embarrassed?"

"No," he grinned smugly. He would his arms around her hips, bringing his face teasingly close. "For all I care, the whole village could be watching and I'd still kiss you," he purred, and she blushed as she heard the two gatekeepers hooting with laughter. As she blushed darker, Shikamaru laughed some more and slipped away from her. Despite her embarrassment, she was sad to feel his warmth fade from her body, and she fought the urge to pull him back. "Come on," he smiled at her and took her hand, pulling her through the gate. They left the village behind and descended into the forest, and Ayumi momentarily forgot about the strong attractive force drawing her to the man beside her.

As they strolled along, the breeze felt nice as it blew along the road. It rustled the green leaves above their head, making sunlight dance across the path. Birdsong echoed through the trees. Ayumi enjoyed the different melodies mingling together in the air; it was peaceful. The smell of earth and decaying leaves filled her nose, and it reminded her of her garden back home. She couldn't help but smile as they walked under the trees. "What is it?" Shikamaru mused, squeezing her hand.

"It's just so peaceful out here. I love it!" she giggled, feeling slightly self-conscious. She knew that Shikamaru had been on this road hundreds of times, but to her, it was simply magical. Everything was rich with color and bursting with life. He didn't seem to find it strange, however; he just smiled softly at her. "It's just so calm… And there's so much life!" she smiled brilliantly. She wasn't sure why it made her so happy, and why she felt so at home. Shikamaru smiled wider and entwined their fingers, making her strong feelings return.

The way the sunlight dappled over him made her heart pound. As he walked beside her, her eyes traced over his profile, the sharp edges of his jawline and the way his hair shone and the softness of his lips. Her heart began pounding as she imagined kissing them again, and she immediately felt ashamed. _I can't believe this. All I can think about is him…_

"What?" he laughed when he caught her staring, and she felt her cheeks begin to burn.

"Um, I-I was just wondering how long it will take us to get there," she lied quickly. He smirked at her, sensing that that was not what she was thinking at all, but thankfully he did not press the issue. He returned his attention to the path ahead of them.

"Three days, give or take, depending on how fast you're going," he answered simply. "At our current rate, we'll probably end up there in three and a half days." The idea of being alone with Shikamaru for three and a half days made her heart skip a beat. _Get it together, Ayumi!_ She scolded herself once more. To try and push her mind into the right state, she once again went over the mission's parameters, and for a little while she's was able to keep her mind from wandering too far.

They walked for several hours, chatting about different things like what the Sand was like, how Shikadai was doing in her class, what the ruins would be like. As they walked hand-in-hand under the dappled sunlight and rustling leaves, she felt completely at peace. _This is wonderful,_ she thought blissfully. She never imagined she would be here, holding hands with a man she cared deeply about and strolling through the forest.

When Shikamaru stopped and held up a hand for silence, however, she felt her happiness drain away and become replaced by fear and slight confusion. His eyes darted around them, and his hand slid slowly to the pouch strapped to his thigh. Then, like a flash, he had pulled a kunai out of it; the air whistled as projectiles came from all directions, but he deflected them all expertly, and Ayumi gasped as the knives clattered around the ground around her feet. Suddenly they were surrounded by rough-looking men, all glaring threateningly at them. Ayumi edged closer to Shikamaru, growing afraid. "Just stay close to me," he told her softly.

"You two are a little far from the Leaf Village," one of them, presumably the leader, called out to them smugly. "You lost?"

"Not lost at all," Shikamaru called back. He was as calm as could be, and as his eyes darted from one enemy to the next, she could see the gears turning in his head. _He'll protect me,_ she thought, feeling reassured. "In fact, we're in quite a rush, so if you could kindly get the hell out of the way, that would be nice," he added smugly. The squad of bandits didn't take too kindly to that, and they all scowled. She didn't think that taunting them was a great idea, and she pressed closer to him as the group advanced onto the path.

"What do you want?" Ayumi asked timidly.

"Got anything valuable in that backpack, sweetheart?" the leader asked with a smirk, pointing at her with a knife. Slightly frightened, she grabbed onto the back of his green vest. _He'll protect me, he'll protect me,_ she continued to tell herself, but she still began to tremble.

"N-no," she squeaked fearfully, and clutched the backpack tighter.

"Maybe I should check, just to make sure," he grinned at her, and the next thing she knew he was right in front of Shikamaru. Sparks flashed as the metal knives collided, and Ayumi dropped to the ground covering her head as the two jumped apart and then leaped at each other once more. Ayumi shook with fright. She had never seen a battle before, let alone been right in the middle of one. She was simultaneously captivated and horrified. All of the bandits were in on the action now, and they dashed across the road, leaping from bushes and jumping from trees and dashing over the dirt path. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw Shikamaru weaving between them, his feet barely touching the ground. Sparks flew where he ran, and occasionally one of the men fell and did not get up.

Ayumi screamed as she felt fingers close around her hair, and she was yanked backwards. She felt something cold and sharp press against her neck. "Be still," she heard the leading thug hiss in her ear. She bit her lip so hard that blood began to dribble down her chin, and she swallowed another scream. The man kept a tight hold on her hair and pressed the knife even tighter to her throat. "Your little boyfriend is quite skilled," he remarked. Shikamaru had killed off half the bandit squad, and blood and bodies littered the dirt road. He picked off the rest in no time, and was soon standing amongst the carnage, panting and covered in blood.

"Get away from her," he growled and moved to step forward. Ayumi squeaked as the knife dug into her neck, so deeply that she felt blood running down her neck and staining the top of her shirt. He pulled her up by her hair, making her rise to her feet, and tears formed in the corners of her eyes from the pain. Fear made her knees turn to jelly, and the man jerked harder on her hair, making her cry out. She saw Shikamaru twitch in anger, twirling the knife in his hands as he glared with murderous intent at the thug holding Ayumi hostage. "If you don't let her go _right now,_ " Shikamaru began, but fell silent when the thug pressed the knife deeper into her throat.

"Shikamaru, please," she croaked desperately, afraid that if he made any more movements they would be past the point of no return.

"Listen to the girl," the man laughed. Shikamaru slowly squatted down, narrowing his eyes as he watched the man guardedly. "Now, you've killed off all my men… That ain't gonna fly. I know someone who would pay a pretty penny for this broad here," he chuckled darkly. Shikamaru's eyes widened, and Ayumi prayed that he would not bolt for the guy, because he looked furious enough to do it. He didn't, however, and the man began to edge away with Ayumi in tow.

"Please," she begged quietly. "Please let me go."

"No way in hell," the man growled, and suddenly the world spun as she was grabbed around the middle and tucked under the bandit's arm. The ground disappeared as the man took off into the trees, and Ayumi felt the breath leave her lungs as his arm dug into her abdomen. Her head bounced up and down as he jumped from branch to branch, and Ayumi was vaguely aware of Shikamaru dashing after them. Then kunai were whistling through the air, and one grazed her cheek, stabbing the man in the back of the leg. She heard him howl and stumble, and then they were falling. She slipped out of his grip, and she screamed as she slammed into a thick branch. She scrabbled for a hold, but slipped off and went plummeting. The small branches whipped against her, covering her in small, burning scratches. She bounced from one branch to the next, and finally landed hard on the grass, and the world took a few minutes before it settled into focus. The ordeal left her breathless, and she rolled slowly onto her side, groaning loudly. Her body ached and the myriad of scratches throbbed. _Ow… Ow, it hurts so much…_

"Ayumi!" she heard Shikamaru calling for her, and she tried to push herself up. Her arms shook violently and she flopped back down, all the strength sapped from her body. She glanced up when she heard shuffling, and to her horror she saw the bandit rising to his feet and limping over to her.

"No, no, no," she whispered frantically, and adrenaline gave her a temporary boost of strength. She scrambled away from him, but he caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm, wrenching it so hard that she felt it jerk out of socket. She fell back, kicking and screaming, as the man dragged her across the grass. "Let go of me! _Let go!"_ she screeched angrily. Then her whole world reeled as the back of his hand collided with her cheek, and blood spurted from her mouth as her lip busted. Too dizzy to fight, she just let him drag her along by her limp arm.

Then she was free, and she fell roughly back onto her back. She forced herself to roll over and saw Shikamaru and the thug wrestling on the ground. They tussled for a while, rolling and writhing across the grass, and then Shikamaru pinned him, and it was all over. Blood sprayed across the grass as he slit his throat, and he jerked for a while, then fell still. Shikamaru tossed the bloody kunai aside, standing up and giving one last glance at the dead body before turning to face her.

Her first reaction was fear. He was covered in blood. It stained his clothes, and spattered his skin; he was more red than anything else, and that frightened her. As he reached out for her, she instinctually jerked away, and then a look of such agonizing pain came across his face that she immediately felt guilty. _What am I doing? He would never hurt me._ "Shikamaru…" she whispered.

"I'm sorry. I guess I didn't realize how frightening I look," he gave her a pained smile, reaching out for her once more. This time she allowed him, and he helped her into a sitting position and kneeled down next to her. He looked so hurt that she would shy away from him, and she scooted close to him, reaching up with her good hand to cup his cheek.

"No, no, it's okay… I'm sorry, it was all just so much, I was so scared…" she murmured. It was then that all the fear hit her, and she began quaking, and tears ran down her cheeks. "Oh, Shikamaru, I was so scared, I thought he was going to kill me, and then he was taking me away, to sell me off, and I would be… I would be…" She trailed off as he gently cupped her face in his hands, whispering soothingly.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," he murmured as he stroked her hair, kissing her forehead. "I would have _never_ let him hurt you, Ayumi, or take you away." He looked her over with a frown. "Oh, look at you… I can't believe I let this happen," he sighed as he pulled her close to him, pressing his forehead against hers. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay. You saved me, didn't you?" she smiled softly, and he returned the smile, and this time she was glad to see no pain there.

"Yeah. Okay, let's get you cleaned up," he told her gently, and pulled some bandages out of his pouch. He cleaned off the cut on her neck, and she could feel the stiffness in his movements. "I can't believe he cut you," he muttered, dabbing at her neck. He then sighed and dropped his hand, looking sadly at the gash in her throat. It wasn't deep, but it stung horribly. She wondered why he was sitting so still just staring, until she felt him gently run his fingertips down the side of her neck, and she shuddered at the sensation. "Now your pretty neck is going to scar," he murmured, and she gasped lightly as she felt his lips against her throat. Subconsciously, she tilted her head back, fingers digging into the soft earth. His lips traveled up her neck and over her chin to smother her own. _Ah… He's kissing me again…_ she thought dumbly.

"Shikamaru…" she murmured when he pulled away, far sooner than she would have liked. He was smirking smugly, quite pleased with his little stunt, and began applying the bandages to her neck and face. He then turned his attention to her arm, which was still hanging limply at her side.

"Hmm… It looks like it's completely out of socket," he frowned. "I have to put it back… This is going to hurt," he warned her as he took her arm. She turned her head away, closing her eyes as she braced herself for it. She heard a sharp crack and felt her arm jerk, and then fiery pain exploded up her arm and over her shoulder. Despite her preparedness, she cried out, collapsing into Shikamaru. He held her as she recovered from the shock, gently stroking her hair. She breathed deeply in and out as the pain faded slowly, and after a few minutes she was able to pull back. She experimentally moved her arm, finding that it worked fine with no pain at all.

"Thank you," she smiled gently up at him, and he kissed her again, softly and briefly. Then, he took her by the hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Can you walk?" he asked her softly. Her strength had returned after her terrifying fall, and she nodded in response.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered, and he almost looked a little disappointed as he squeezed her hand and began walking.

"Let's go," he said, and she didn't look back as they left the terrifying scene behind them. _I won't be afraid anymore. No matter what, I know he'll always come for me… He'll always protect me._


	23. Chapter 22: Enter the Sand Village!

Ayumi couldn't help but gawk, mouth wide open, as she walked beside Shikamaru through the Village Hidden in the Sand. For three days it had been nothing but wilderness, first the sprawling forest and then the blazing desert. Though it had been a wonderful experience, sleeping under the stars in the cool night air and seeing the beauty that nature had to offer, she was relieved to finally be back in civilization, especially one that was so beautiful. The architecture was splendid, especially for being made of rough, sandy stone. The buildings towered into the bright blue sky, and hawks circled overhead, crying out to the wind as they soared on the air currents. A hot breeze blew through the streets, carrying the warmth of the desert with it, and Ayumi rubbed her arms as sand particles danced over her bare skin.

"It's so beautiful!" she beamed happily. "It's everything I ever imagined and more!" Shikamaru smiled in amusement and slipped his arm around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze.

"After we meet with the Kazekage, I'll show you around a bit, huh?" he offered, to which she nodded excitedly. "Okay, okay," he laughed and kissed her temple. "First, we have to take care of business." Ayumi continued to drink in every sight that she possibly could as they strolled through the sandy streets toward the towering building at the center of the city; when they entered the administrative building, however, her mind switched gears completely, and she found herself wondering what the Kazekage was like. She had seen him from a distance a few times, when he had come to the Leaf to visit Naruto, whether it be for personal or business reasons. She found herself nervous as they waited outside of the Kazekage's office.

"Is he scary?" she whispered suddenly to Shikamaru. He chuckled at her, making her blush slightly in embarrassment.

"No, not at all. Kankuro, though, he can be a bit, ah, _abrasive…_ " he frowned as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. As Ayumi began to look more concerned, he smiled gently and rubbed her back reassuringly. "Don't worry, Ayumi," he soothed her gently. "Really, they're both good guys, and this won't take long at all." She leaned against him as her fear melted away, and he retracted his arm just as the door opened and they were led inside.

Ayumi was struck at how _young_ the Kazekage looked. As he set behind the desk, smiling politely as the teacher and her escort entered. He had to be several years younger, and the bright red hair and boyish blue eyes made him seem even _younger. It's hard to believe that the strongest ninja of our time are this young. First him, then Lord Seventh…_ A dark-haired man with bright face paint stood off to the side with his arms crossed, looking cross. _That must be Kankuro,_ she realized. Like the Kazekage, she had only seen him from a distance, and he definitely looked tougher up close. Swallowing the rising anxiety, she edged closer to Shikamaru as they came to a stop in front of the desk.

"Shikamaru. Nice to see you again," Lord Gaara greeted them politely, and then he turned his attention to the teacher. She instinctually straightened up, chewing on her lip as she smiled shyly. "And you must be Ayumi Tachibana. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh! The pleasure is mine!" she squeaked and hastily bowed her head; when she raised her head, Kankuro had his eyebrows raised and an amused smile on his face, and the Kazekage just looked mildly uncomfortable. She cleared her throat awkwardly and raised her head, blushing fiercely, and Shikamaru discreetly slid his hand into hers and laced their fingers, making her feel a little better.

"Right. Naruto gave us a basic rundown of the situation, but he didn't tell us any specifics," Shikamaru began, filling the silence after Ayumi's overreaction. Prompted, Kankuro fished a map out of his pocket and spread it out on the desk, and pointed at a location not far away from the village, situated on some rocky bluffs.

"The ruins are here, just at the base of these cliffs. We've excavated part of the entrance, but it's collapsed," he began to explain.

"Do you think it was on purpose?" Shikamaru asked with a frown, and the two Sand ninja nodded.

"Definitely. The ruins were perfectly fine when we began, but when the researchers returned the next morning, the entire entrance was destroyed and both the sentries we had placed there were dead. It looked as if they had been caught in the rockslide, but once we were able to retrieve the bodies, it was clear they had been killed first," Gaara responded gravely. At such a grim description, Ayumi felt a chill run up her spine.

"Since then, we've been able to make some progress by exploring some parts that have opened up due to naturally wearing down, but it's been just as difficult. Researchers and guards turn up missing, and when we find them it looks like they stumbled into some kind of trap, but all the autopsies say the same thing- someone is killing these people off, and are trying to cover their tracks," Kankuro frowned deeply. "The researchers all think the ruins are cursed."

"Wait- you haven't told them?" Ayumi gasped, unable to keep her mouth shut at such a surprising notion. She blushed darkly when the three ninja looked at her like she was positively stupid, and she shrunk down in shame.

"No. We wouldn't want to start a panic," the Kazekage smiled gently at her, and she was glad that he was at least taking a kind tone with her. "We _did_ find evidence of recent inhabitants, campfires and such, but we've kept that information on a need-to-know basis until we know exactly what we're dealing with. So far, we have been unable to find any of the perpetrators."

"Worse, the ruins have been collapsed again. We can't go any further, and our researchers are ready to quit. We need them to get further inside to try and root these guys out, but they refuse to go in there," Kankuro sighed. "We don't have much to go on, either. It's very possible that we're completely wrong, and all the lives that have been lost have been a waste," he added bitterly.

"No, that's not likely," Ayumi refuted, and she blushed again when the three men gave her those looks again. _Don't back down, Ayumi. Show them why you're here._ "Well, you have to consider where it's located," she stammered uncomfortably, pointing at the cliff ruins. "It's close enough to a major city where supplies and information are readily available, but not _too_ close to be easily detected. Furthermore, it's very close to the border, and near several major roads that link together the continent and see a lot of travel, but far enough away that any suspicious activity is not easily detectable by passersby." They were staring curiously at her now, and she began to feel more confident with her analysis.

"Have any women gone missing from the village?" Shikamaru inquired.

"No, not yet," Kankuro answered.

"Hmm, in that case, it's probably not a base," Ayumi responded. "That's probably why you haven't seen hide or hair of anyone. Most likely, only a few of the criminals are stationed there, and the ruins probably serve as a rendezvous point or to house, ah… _goods_ until they are ready to be sent to their final destination. Again, the close proximity to multiple lands, major roads, and a city all support that probability. It's probably an important one, since they are so determined to keep it in operation rather than abandoning it completely. My guess is that the ruins span leagues underground, and there are most likely hidden passageways and tunnels that go for miles into the surrounding area. It's perfect for smuggling."

"That is an… impressive observation. You got all that only from the map?" Kankuro frowned at her, seemingly unconvinced.

"I've been studying history my entire life, and a large portion of the continent's history is war. The key to war is _location_ , not power. You can trace back any civilization's success to location and geography. Take the Hidden Sand, for example. It's surrounded by hazardous desert, which is treacherous to cross if you don't know what you're doing. It's impossible to bring an army across it undetected, and it's limited in resources and therefore undesirable to most who don't know how to utilize it," she explained matter-of-factly. "These ruins are perfect for avoiding detection while remaining in close proximity to everything required to keep such an operation afloat." The men stared wide-eyed at her, obviously impressed, and Ayumi felt her heart swelling with happiness. _Wow, they actually respect me…_

"All that being said, how would we solve the problem of getting in?" Kankuro asked with a heavy sigh.

"We could force our way in, but that would let them know we're coming and give them time to escape," Shikamaru answered with pursed lips. The three men stared hard at the map, offering up useless suggestions, while Ayumi peered around Shikamaru to observe the area surrounding the ruins.

"There," she said suddenly, pointing at the cliffs. "Small civilizations like this always have hidden entrances in case of invasion. It'll be easy to miss, probably built into the cliffside and in an area that would allow for easy escape, probably relatively close to the top of the cliffs," she explained. Gaara and Kankuro flipped the map around to peer closely at it, then slowly nodded in approval.

"Yes, I think that's worth a shot," Kankuro smirked, and she jumped slightly as he reached over and clapped her on the back. "Wow, Shikamaru, you weren't kidding when you said you sent your best archaeologist." Ayumi blushed brightly, humbled by the praise, and she shyly tucked her hair behind her ears. "It's too late to try searching now- the sun will be setting in an hour or so. Tomorrow morning we'll start canvassing the cliffside looking for the entrance, and Ayumi, you can explore the ruins we do have uncovered. Maybe you can find something else."

"Okay!" she beamed brightly, unable to hide her excitement at the notion of exploring ancient ruins. _Oh, this is so exciting!_ It had been a long time since she had been in the field, having taken up teaching, and she was elated to have the opportunity to return to her passion. "Um, I'm honored at the opportunity," she added hastily with a quick bow of her head. Gaara smiled at her, making her even more bashful.

The three men chatted for a while before Shikamaru escorted her out of the administration building, and by that time the sky was growing dark as the sun sunk below the horizon and the starts began to come out. "Oh, I bet the sunsets here are so beautiful. I hope we get to see one while we're here," she said hopefully. When she glanced over at him, he was smirking smugly. "What?" she asked.

"You," he mused, and she cried out as he suddenly swept her off her feet and jumped up onto the roof of a nearby building, then to the next, and even higher. He landed on top of the massive guard wall that encircled the village, and he was still smirking as he walked across the sandy surface to plop down on the edge of the barrier, still holding her in his arms. Her face was on fire, and Shikamaru found that highly amusing; he kissed her lightly on the nose, making her blush even fiercer. "You should really expect this kind of stuff now," he chuckled. Ayumi was too preoccupied to answer, as she had finally noticed the brilliant sunset.

"Wow," she breathed. The sun was a giant yellow ball as it slowly disappeared below the horizon, turning the sky rich shades of orange and red. It clashed with the encroaching night sky, mixing with the dark blue and black landscape dotted with glittering stars. Ayumi's eyes went wide with wonder. "It really is beautiful," she whispered as she gazed at the magnificent display.

"Yeah. It really is," she heard him whisper, and when she turned her head he wasn't looking at the sunset, but at her. She felt her breath catch in her throat and her heart begin to pound. He gently raised his hand to her cheek, sweeping her hair away from her face. As the last of the sun sunk below the sand, casting the world in darkness, Shikamaru's lips found hers. High above the desert, with just the open sky around them, they kissed passionately for a long time under the soft moonlight, and Ayumi had never been happier.

"Wait, what do you mean our room isn't reserved?" Shikamaru said crossly as he glared at the innkeeper. After their wonderful kiss on the wall, they had realized they had completely forgotten to go to their hotel and check into their room, and so they had raced through the dark, sandy streets to find that their room had never been reserved in the first place. It seemed Naruto, in all his brilliance, had neglected to reserve a room for them.

"I'm sorry, sir. All I have available is a single bed," the man behind the counter apologized miserably. Shikamaru ran a hand over his face, sighing deeply and mumbling under his breath before begrudgingly paying for the room. Ayumi shuffled after him with her bag, feeling highly uncomfortable. _Shikamaru and I? In a single bed? Oh, I don't think I'm ready for something like this… We haven't been going out for that long, a-and it's improper…!_ She fretted silently as she shuffled along behind him. As they entered the room, she could hardly enjoy the nice décor due to her anxiety. Shikamaru seemed unperturbed, setting his stuff down in the corner.

"Ayumi, you can have the bed," he said abruptly as he grabbed his sleeping bag from his pack and rolled it out on the floor. Her strange feelings immediately evaporated, and she blinked repeatedly.

"Oh, um, are you sure?" she asked quietly, setting her bag down beside his.

"Unless you want to share?" he looked up at her as he stretched out on the floor, and he had the hint of a grin on his face.

"N-no," she sputtered and ripped her back open to retrieve her pajamas, hastily walking to the bathroom to change. She heard him laughing behind her.

Despite it being a little strange to share a room with a man, she was able to fall asleep pretty easily, as the comfort of a bed was welcome after sleeping on the ground for three days. However, she awoke when she heard strange noises, and she slowly sat up to see that Shikamaru was tossing and turning on the makeshift bed, groaning miserably. Before she could lean down to awaken him, he jerked awake and sat up, blinking sleepily in the dark. He seemed not to notice her presence as he stood and shuffled over to the bathroom, rubbing the back of his neck as he disappeared into the small room. She watched the door, unsure quite what she was going to say after he came out, but she could tell from his behavior that he was unsettled. When he finally came out, sighing deeply, the moonlight streamed in and illuminated the hotel room briefly. Ayumi blushed lightly when she noticed he was shirtless, but she reminded herself that it wasn't important. "Shikamaru?" she called softly.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," he mumbled. She tossed the covers off of herself to crawl to the end of the bed, sitting up on her knees to beckon him over. He did so grudgingly, and she slid her arms around his neck and rubbed the back of his head soothingly.

"Nightmare?" she asked quietly. He nodded silently, pressing his forehead against hers as he placed his hands on her hips.

"It's a lot harder being in the Sand than I thought," he sighed deeply. "I thought maybe… Now that I was with you… I would be okay…"

"Right. Temari is from here," she recalled. He looked so sad as she rubbed his upper back and shoulders. He was trembling, and had broken out into a cold sweat. "And the Kazekage and Kankuro… Were her brothers," she remembered as well. He nodded miserably, closing his eyes as he ran his hands up and down her sides. "Hey," she murmured as she cupped his face in her hands. He opened his eyes slightly, staring sadly into her own, and she cocked her head to the side slightly as she stroked his cheek with her finger. "Losing someone like that is always going to hurt," she murmured softly. "If it's too hard for you…" she started, but he shook his head.

"No, no. I'll stay. I promised to protect you, didn't I?" he smiled weakly, kissing her softly. "I'll be okay… I have you," he said, but he still looked afraid to return to the floor.

"Come here," she sighed, pulling on his arm and scooting back in the bed. Obediently, he climbed onto the bed and laid down beside her, and she threw the covers over the both off them. She smiled slightly as she pressed closed to him, enjoying the feeling of his bare chest as she ran her hands over his abs. _Now it's important,_ she thought blankly. He wrapped his arms loosely around her, pulling her closer, and then he smiled softly down at her. "Feel better?"

"Yeah, a little bit," he snickered slightly, kissing her again. As his lips moved against hers, she couldn't help but smile and wrap her arms around his neck, curling her fingers into his soft, dark hair. Electricity danced through her nerves as his hands traveled over her body, tracing her curves. His lips migrated to her neck, but then he stopped when he reached the area covered by the bandage. She tried not to feel disappointed as he sighed deeply and buried his face into her hair. "I promised to protect you. So I will," he mumbled through the brunette locks.

"I know you will," she smiled as she snuggled into his arms, and drifted off to sleep.


	24. Chapter 23: Into the Ruins

Ayumi's eyes widened with delight as she stood upon the sand dunes overlooking the vast complex of ruins, where several researchers and ninja had already gathered to resume unearthing the remains of a long-lost civilization. From her vantage point, what had currently been unearthed stretched hundreds of yards in both directions, basking in the shade of the towering cliffs less than half a mile away. The architecture had been preserved perfectly in the hot sand, and it was unlike anything Ayumi had ever seen. They were made of a red-grey rock that she had never seen, likely mined from a long-buried area. They were arranged so perfectly that you couldn't even see the breaks between them, and were carved with masterful precision, forming domes and towers and parapets of a massive palace. Though the Sand had been hard at work, it was clear that the project had only just begun; they had not even reached the gate of the castle yet. As the workers dragged away wheelbarrows full of sand and hard rock, Ayumi scrambled down the sand dune to get a closer look at the impressive structure. Shikamaru followed her with a bemused smile.

"Glad you two could finally make it," called a familiar voice, and the young teacher turned to see Kankuro perched on a rock, arms crossed while he smirked at them. He hopped down from his rock to greet them. "It's a good thing, too. They're anxious," he frowned quietly and glanced around at the workers. Now that Ayumi was closer, she could see what he meant. They were all quiet, far too quiet for a bunch of scientists on a dig, and they were constantly looking over their shoulders as if they expected someone to be there. They were jumpy, as well. If someone drifted too close or something fell they would leap almost a foot in the air and whirl around, fists often raised. _They're close to snapping…_ Ayumi thought nervously as she chewed her lip.

"Has anything happened yet?" Shikamaru asked, his voice low so as not to spook the nearby ruins excavators. Kankuro shook his head, and that made her feel a little bit better. "All right. Ayumi and I will do as sweep to see if she spots anything before we try tackling the cliffs," the ninja decided, glancing down at her. "Ayumi, you do your thing," he smiled gently and clapped her lightly on the back, signaling for her to descend on the ruins. She momentarily forgot about the grave danger she could be in, and became extremely excited. She half-jogged, half-skipped into the construction site, where a few of the researchers gave her queer looks before returning to their work.

"Oh, aren't they amazing, Shikamaru?" she gasped in delight as she flitted about. A multitude of smaller buildings surrounded the magnificent palace that was slowly being unearthed, residential buildings and pavilions. Much more of those had been dug up, some of them completely revealed. Ayumi had to pick slowly through the dig site, as different projects had sprung up in addition to the large, overarching goal to reveal the ruins. A narrow road connected the multiple holes that contained the unearthed city, some of them deep enough to cause serious injury if she fell. Ayumi peered down into the individual dig projects, her eyes wide with wonder as she observed researchers unearthing artifacts as well as buildings. Clay pots, ancient weapons, and utensils were among the many things that the sand and rock had revealed, and Ayumi wondered what kind of people lived there, what their lives were like, and why they had vanished to leave behind this magnificent city under the desert. Shikamaru and Kankuro trailed behind her as she rushed along the narrow dirt pathway, smirking at each other. "Why are you smiling like that?" she pouted when she caught them snickering.

"You're like a little kid," Shikamaru mused as he tried to hold in his laughter. Ayumi puffed out her cheeks, and he walked over to pinch them, making her cry out and shake her head vigorously in an effort to throw him off. He just pinched harder, making her whine loudly.

"Shtop dat!" she wailed as he tugged at her face, but her struggle just seemed to amuse him even more.

"Ugh, why are you making me watch this?" Kankuro sniffed with disdain. "Get a room- or a hole," he smirked and walked over to nudge Shikamaru playfully. The man slipped on the uneven rock, and let go of Ayumi to whirl his arms as teetered over one of the holes, dangerously close to falling in. When he regained his balance, he glared savagely at the man, who had walked off laughing hysterically.

"He always was an asshole," Shikamaru muttered as he slipped an arm around her shoulders, and she smiled brightly as she propped her head on his upper arm.

"Oh, don't lie, you two get along great!" she giggled, but the ninja rolled his eyes and shook his head. He looked a little disappointed as she slipped away from him, but something had captured her attention, making her abandon the lovely cuddles with her boyfriend. She climbed down a ladder into one of the holes, hopping down at the bottom and wiping her dusty hands on her pants. This particular project was finished, as no researchers were down in the sizable excavation site. It stretched on for yards, and contained a series of homes preserved in almost perfect condition. The houses were rudimentary, little rectangular-shaped stone structures. She ducked through one of the doors to find that the entire complex was connected, linked together by wide openings. _I wonder if they lived in large families?_ She thought as she walked through the large building. She crouched down to observe some pottery bowls in a corner, appreciating the colorful glaze. _It's amazing how advanced people were, even all those years ago,_ she thought. She glanced over her shoulder when she heard the soft scrape of shoes on stone, and Shikamaru was standing with his hands in his pockets in the doorway, casting a shadow on her.

"Why did you decide to teach?" he asked abruptly blinking in surprise at the suddenness of his inquiry. She gently set the bowl back down on the floor, standing and pacing the sandy floor as she searched for a way to respond.

"I love history," she began slowly. "I always have. There's so much you can learn from it. If I could, I would sit in ruins like these all day, digging up entire cities and learning how they lived."

"Then why don't you?" he interrupted. "It obviously makes you happy." She smiled softly at him as he crossed the room to take her hands, rubbing the tops of them with his thumb. "I've never seen you so happy," he murmured, almost sadly. _He doesn't get it,_ she thought, finding it ironic that a man with such a brilliant mind could be so utterly clueless. She let his hands go to run her up his arms and over his shoulders and up his neck, stopping to cup his face.

"I am much happier where I belong," she told him pointedly. "I can dig up ruins all day long, but what matters more is the big picture. History exists to teach us lessons, and not everyone knows them. I teach because I want to make the world a better place- so our children can live in peace, not war," she explained simply. Shikamaru smiled and wound his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. "What's that smile for?" she mused, and he cocked his head to the side playfully.

"Hearing you talk about such deep stuff is kinda sexy," he smirked at her, and he stole a kiss from her, making her blush darkly and push him away. It was all in fun, though.

"I can't believe you! I pour out my heart to you, and you use it as an excuse to kiss me?" she huffed dramatically, whirling so that her back was to him and crossing her arms. A smile crept onto her face as he hugged her from behind, planting kisses up and down the side of her neck. She wriggled in his grasp. "Stop, that tickles!" she laughed, but that just made him hold onto her tighter and nibble at her ear. "Shikamaru!" she laughed.

"Okay, okay. To be continued," he smiled, giving her one last kiss on the mouth before relinquishing his hold on her. It was great timing, as Kankuro's voice floated down from the top of the hole, exuding impatience. She and Shikamaru climbed out of the dig site to find him pursing him lips at the top, and tapping his foot with displeasure.

"When I said 'Get a hole,' I wasn't serious," he snorted. Ayumi smiled bashfully and turned pink, but Shikamaru remained unperturbed.

"Ayumi wanted to look around. Get your mind out of the gutter, Kankuro," he snapped back, and though they were glaring at each other, they were smiling. _I don't understand how men talk to each other. You can never tell whether they're kidding or not!_

"Whatever. We're ready to begin searching the cliffs," the black-clad ninja reported. However, before any of them could even move, the ground suddenly heaved and the sound of an explosion split the air. As Ayumi tumbled into Shikamaru, off in the distance she saw rocks and dust shooting into the air in a small mushroom cloud. "Damn it!" Kankuro cried and shot off, and Shikamaru steadied her and ordered her to stay put before running after him. The scientists were all in a frenzy around her, screaming about a curse, and cowering in their little dig sites. Ayumi obeyed the ninjas order for all of two minutes before she ran off to investigate the commotion.

When she arrived at the site of the explosion a large crowd had already gathered, a few scientists intermingled with many ninja. Ayumi shoved her way to the front, using her small size to squeeze between the larger bodies, until she almost stepped forward into open air. Luckily Shikamaru was standing right there, and he grabbed her by the arm to yank her back.

"Ayumi! What did I tell you?" he scolded, but she was too busy staring at the carnage to respond. A large section of the palace had collapsed, crushing several tents and likely some scientists underneath a landslide of rocks ranging from the size of small dogs to proper boulders.

"What happened?" she cried, feeling a little sick to her stomach when she saw a human hand sticking out of the rubble. She stared at it, unable to avert her gaze until Shikamaru forcibly turned her face away. Kankuro appeared at the top of the collapsed wall, calling for she and Shikamaru to come up. Ayumi had no idea how she was going to scale the loose collection of rocks. It seemed incredibly unstable, like it could shift at any moment and come spilling out over the crowd, claiming more lives. She didn't have to, though; Shikamaru abruptly scooped her into his arms and began jumping lightly from rock to rock. The landslide shuddered precariously but did not move, and somehow they made it to the top without causing another disaster. Shikamaru landed lightly on the part of the wall that was intact, hundreds of feet above the ground. Shikamaru gently set her down after ensuring that the area was secure, and she smoothed down her pants to channel her built-up anxiety.

"Did you figure out what it was?" he asked quietly.

"Paper bomb, most likely. It's hard to tell what exactly happened. They had found an entrance, apparently, and had started clearing it out. They moved a rock, I'm guessing, and the whole thing went boom. The wall collapsed, but it's not all bad," he said, gesturing behind him. The explosion had knocked open part of the great dome, revealing a way inside. They could see down to what seemed to be a palace floor, hundreds of feet below where they were standing. "Whoever didn't want us coming through the front door opened up a back door for us. How nice of them, huh?"

"That could be exactly what they were intending,"Shikamaru frowned. "They might want to lure us into a false sense of security. I say dispatch one squad to scope it out and check for more bombs, no more than that. If it is an accident, we don't want to alert anyone to our presence." Kankuro nodded and called out some ninja's name, prompting him to scale the rubble. After giving him quiet orders, the man nodded and whistled for his squad, and then they jumped down into the dome. Ayumi watched them land on the palace floor far below and begin poking around, and she held her breath, half-prepared for another explosion. Her head was growing fuzzy by the time they gave the all-clear, and she remembered to breathe again. Kankuro jumped down into the palace, landing lightly at the bottom. "Ayumi?" came a sudden voice, and she glanced up to see Shikamaru crouching beside her. "I'm going down there. Stay up here-"

"No," she refused immediately, and he frowned deeply. "Look, either you take me down there safely, or I try to climb down myself and end up breaking something," she told him firmly.

"I should have expected as much," he sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. She smiled, knowing that she had won, and he obediently scooped her into his arms and jumped down into the palace. She grabbed onto him as they plummeted down, the wind whipping at her hair and clothes. He landed expertly on a large rock, crouching down to let her hop down from his arms. She slipped down from the rock, landing unsteadily on the tile floor, while he jumped down beside her.

"Wow," she breathed as she stared up at the dome. From the inside, it was easier to tell that it was made completely of glass; the outside had been caked in centuries of dirt and rock, making it impossible to tell from the outside. Shards of the colored glass crunched beneath her feet as she walked slowly towards the center, captivated by the impressive craftsmanship. Below the glass dome was a ring of statues, various animals of the desert, like hawks and coyotes. Below that, the wall was plastered and painted with what must have been depictions of the civilization's history, colorful illustrations that had retained their beauty even after long years buried under the ground. Ayumi ignored the others as she took it the grandeur.

"Damn!" Kankuro suddenly shouted, and she turned to see him standing crossly beside Shikamaru in front of a gilded entrance to some passageway. Unfortunately, whatever tunnel it had led to had been collapsed, leaving them back to square one. Now that she was distracted, Ayumi slowly became aware of how strange the ground felt under her feet- fragile, like she was treading on a thin layer of glass. She leaned down to lightly knock on the floor. She paled in horror.

Where she was standing, there was no solid foundation beneath the palace. Instead, it was hollow.

They were walking across a ticking time bomb.

"Everyone! Stop moving!" she screamed, and the panic in her tone caused everyone to freeze and look at her. She was at the center of the floor, and the ninja were scattered around her, with Kankuro and Shikamaru the farthest away. _It can't be built on hollow ground. There was probably a cavern, deep below. It's probably open to water or air, and the ceiling was worn away over time until it was only a foot or so thick. It must be relatively small, else the palace would have long since collapsed, but this floor is one sudden movement away from falling in!_ Her eyes scanned the floor, looking for some indication where the thin ceiling thickened. _There!_ About three yards away the tile bulged ever so slightly, and as she turned in a circle she could see that it did so in an even circumference. The tile that was above the thin ceiling had sunk a few centimeters, indicating that it was even closer to collapsing than she feared.

"Ayumi? What is it?" Shikamaru called to her, moving to step forward.

"No! Stay where you are!" she demanded and held out a hand for him to cease moving, and she was so forceful that he actually obeyed her without question. "The floor of this palace is unstable. There's some kind of cavern underneath it, and it's close to falling in." As she explained, she felt the ground beneath her feet sink lower. The other ninja with the radius of the dangerous zone felt it too, as they began to grow visibly unsettled. "No one make any sudden movements!" she ordered. "The ground turns solid about five yards from where I'm standing," she told them, pointing at the raised tiles. "One at a time, starting with the closest individual, we'll walk slowly towards the safe zone. _Slowly_ ," she emphasized. The ground lurched again, and the floor cracked under her feet.

"Do as she says! Hurry!" Kankuro barked. The ninja were spurred into action, and slowly they began to one by one edge out of the collapsing floor. It was nerve-wracking, sitting there at the epicenter of the collapsing ceiling, but Ayumi remained as still as she could. The floor continued to rumble and crack, and she prayed that it would hold long enough for her to inch her way to safety. The floor had sunk several inches now, and she could clearly see the separation between the hollow area and the bedrock. Shikamaru was visibly shaken, she saw, hovering at the very edge of the small drop and staring wide-eyed at her. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, but she smiled weakly at him, not wanting him to worry.

Suddenly the ground lurched so hard that she fell to her hands and knees. She glanced around wildly to see that only one ninja was left, knocked on his behind a long ways from the safe zone. He was young, no more than sixteen.

And she knew he was going to make a run for it.

"No!" she screamed as he scrambled to his feet and took off like a madman, and the ground split open in his wake. He made it safely to the edge, but Ayumi was still stuck in the middle. A charm was rapidly opening up where the frightened boy had run for it, like a black snake rapidly slithering towards her.

" _Ayumi!_ _ **Run!**_ " Shikamaru yelled at her, and that was enough to pull her out of the shock and send her scrambling to her feet. She stumbled over the rumbling ground, dodging holes that opened up as entire sections of the floor gave way. Shikamaru was leaning out as far as he could over the edge, his hand outstretched for her. He was so far away, though, and the ground was sinking so fast, crumbling away as she ran desperately. _I'm not going to make It!_ She realized in horror, and as she did, she felt the ground giving way beneath her. _Just a few more feet!_ She thought with gritted teeth, and she stretched out her hand. She felt their fingertips brush, and then her feet hit empty air, and she was falling down into the darkness, and all she could hear was the sound of crumbling rock and Shikamaru screaming her name…


	25. Chapter 24: The Search

Shikamaru stared wide-eyed into the cavernous expanse that had just swallowed Ayumi whole, standing with his hand still outstretched. His fingertips still tingled with her touch. He just kept replaying the entire scene in his mind, over and over, wondering how he could have done it differently, but he was in too shocked of a state to think clearly. When the reality finally hit him that she had plummeted into the abyss, he felt something shatter inside him and he sank to his knees on the edge of the precipice.

" _Ayumi!"_ he screamed down into the darkness, and he heard his voice bouncing off the rocky walls to echo down into the seemingly bottomless pit. He listened as the voice faded, panicking when he heard no response. As he sat on the edge, a thin bead of sweat running down the side of his face, he trembled at the thought that Ayumi could be-

 _No! I don't believe it!_ He thought with a growl, swinging his legs around so that he was sitting on the edge of the rock with his legs dangling into the empty air. _I won't believe it, not until I see it for myself, damn it!_

"Hang on, Ayumi. I'm coming," he muttered as he dug into the pouch strapped to his thigh and brought out a long coil of thin rope. Feverish with fear, he fumbled to tie it around himself, cursing as the knot continuously slipped free. He was about to abandon the attempt altogether and just leap into the dark chasm until a pair of gloved hands reached out and calmly tied the knot around his middle.

"Jeez, you're a mess. Hold still," Kankuro huffed as he tightened the loop around Shikamaru with a slight frown on his face. He tossed the unsecured end behind them, and a pair of ninjas scrambled to tie the other end around a thick rock. Kankuro tugged on the strung experimentally before pulling out another thick length of rope and tying it around himself.

"What are you doing?" Shikamaru huffed with narrowed eyes. Kankuro ignored his glare as he threw the end of his rope back, where his underlings proceeded to do the same as Shikamaru's rope. Sighing heavily, the black-clad Sand ninja plopped down on the edge of the black expanse beside him.

"You think I'm gonna let you go down there by yourself?" Kankuro snorted and shook his head. "No way. Look at yourself." Shikamaru obeyed, and was alarmed to find that the man spoke truly. His skin was pale, and his hands were trembling violently and his knees shaking so hard they were knocking together. _I'm afraid,_ he realized, and he gasped when he felt something wet roll down his cheeks. He slowly lifted a hand and brushed it away, pulling back to see tears on his fingertips. "We'll find her," Kankuro continued with a small smile, and Shikamaru looked at him with slight incredulity. They had never been friends, really; they had worked together a few times, and Kankuro had come around every so often to visit Temari in the Leaf. He had no reason to show him such compassion.

Still, he was grateful.

"Thank you," he sniffed and rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hands. _Pull yourself together. Now isn't the time to become a wreck. Ayumi is down there, probably hurt,_ he told himself firmly, steeling his nerve as he gazed down into the yawning black mouth of the cave. _She's probably scared. You can't be afraid. For her._

"Ready?" Kankuro asked. Shikamaru braced himself for the fall, and then nodded; together, they slipped off the edge of the precipice. The rope slithered across the sandy ground as they plummeted, then grew taut as the ninja above snatched it up to brace the two Jonin. Shikamaru grunted as he crashed roughly into the wall, then grabbed onto the rope with both hands and planted his feet against the rough rock. He cried out as one foot slipped against the uneven surface. _It's wet!_ "There's probably a lake underneath us!" Kankuro called across the gloom. The sound of his voice bounced across the cave, echoing loudly in his ears as he searched for the other ninja. He found him hovering a few feet below, barely distinguishable in the dark. _If there's a lake… Ayumi may have survived the fall!_ He thought, hope fluttering in his heart. Kankuro nodded to him before he dropped down into the dark, the blackness swallowing him up. Shikamaru followed suit, tugging on the rope to indicate the ninja above to give the rope a little slack, and he bounced off the wall to fall a few yards before connecting with the uneven rocky face again.

On and on they went, descending into the eerie darkness. The circle of light became smaller and smaller as he proceeded further into the abyss. Soon he began to hear the sound of dripping water echoing around him, and in the faint light he could see the stony spears of stalactites off in the distance. It seemed that the cavern below the ornate room was like a tunnel, leading into an even bigger cave below; Shikamaru found that theory to be true when the wall abruptly vanished, and he found himself hanging in empty air. Below him, he could barely see the glitter of light reflecting off the surface of slightly shifting water.

"Shikamaru! You can go ahead and cut your line. The water is only about ten feet down!" Kankuro's voice floated up from the gloom. Shikamaru dug into his pouch to retrieve a kunai, reaching up to slash the rope and plummet down. He landed on the surface of the water with a slight splash, but remained squatting on the surface by pouring the chakra into his feet. Ripples danced across the black water as Kankuro came walking over, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Who knew something this massive would be down here?" he murmured, looking around the massive cave with slight awe. The sparse light shining from above did little to illuminate the impressive domed structure, as the cave walls were nowhere in sight in either direction. Alone, he and Kankuro stood in the circle of light on the surface of the lake.

"The first thing Ayumi did, if she survived, is probably swim toward the shore," Shikamaru huffed, digging into his pouch to retrieve his lighter. He flicked it on, the little flame illuminating the darkness around them just a little. He stood up straight and waved it around in the hazy gloom, trying to find some bearings, but the shifting water just proceeded on and on all around them. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the surface of the water, analyzing the pattern of the waves sloshing underneath his feet. "That way," he decided.

"How do you know that?" Kankuro asked doubtfully. Shikamaru pointed down to the water, where the waves were moving in the direction he had originally pointed.

"The wind is to our backs," he told him. It had been hard to detect at first, but after standing still for a moment he had been able to feel the slightest flutter of air from behind them. "The wind is probably coming from the source of the lake, pouring in from the surface. It pushes the water to the shore. Listen. Can't you hear it behind us?" he asked, and Kankuro frowned and squinted as he strained to hear. As they sat in silence, the faint sound of the rushing water of a small stream splashing over rocks could be heard far behind them.

"Okay, yeah, but did Ayumi know that?" he sniffed. Shikamaru doubted that she did, but that was all he had to go on for now. Without answering Kankuro, he began walking across the surface of the lake, holding the lighter high over his head to illuminate their way. The Sand ninja muttered something under his breath about him being a pretentious asshole before quickly following suit, not having much other choice but to trust in the man's instincts. Shikamaru just hoped that they didn't let him down this time.

They walked for about five minutes before the waves began to grow a little rougher, indicating that they were near the shore. It came into view a few seconds later, a thin line of black sand against an even darker sheer rock face with a large crack down the middle, indicating a path. Shikamaru hopped down into the sand and waved the lighter around, looking for any sign that the woman had passed through. He began to feel hopelessness settling in until a flash of color caught his vision. _There!_ He dashed off across the wet sand, giving Kankuro a fright and no explanation. Shikamaru grabbed Ayumi's bag out of the water just as the waves threatened to carry it away, and held the lighter close to the dripping wet accessory.

 _There's blood on it,_ he realized with dread, and he glanced down at the small patch of sand illuminated by his lighter to see that blood also spotted the dark grey sand, bright red drops leading away from the shore. _She was alive, at least when she got to this point,_ he thought as he squatted down, running his hand over the bloody sand. It soaked deep into the sand. _She was hurt badly,_ she thought as Kankuro came running up to him, panting with effort. "Hey man, we got a big problem!" he cried when Shikamaru glanced up at him, and pointed into the dark. Shikamaru jerked to his feet when he felt the ground rumble beneath his feet, and a giant, murky shadow shifted in the gloom, advancing toward them with astonishing speed.

"What is it?" he cried as he grabbed a piece of driftwood nearby, praying it wasn't too wet. The strange form continued to lumber forward as he ripped off a section of his cloak and wound it around the slightly damp wood, and he held the lighter to the strip of fabric and prayed it would light. The flame caught hold and spread across the fabric in an instant, and the darkness shied away from the crackling red light. Shikamaru whipped around with the makeshift torch just in time to see the massive scorpion emerging from the shadows, and at the sight of the light it shrieked and sent it's gigantic barbed tail crashing down at them. "Crap! Move!" he shouted and threw himself to the side as the poison-tipped appendage slammed into the beach where he and Kankuro had just been standing, throwing dark sand in all directions. Shikamaru spat the wet sand out of his mouth and scrabbled to his feet, waving the torch threateningly at the scorpion. It shied away, hissing, while Kankuro slipped under its writhing legs to join the Leaf ninja.

"What do we do?" the puppeteer cried, ready to wrench the scrolls holding his puppets free of their holsters.

"No good! We can't fight in the dark," Shikamaru insisted, his eyes searching desperately for the blood trail that the monster had just destroyed. With such little time and not enough light, though, his eyes just couldn't find it. "There! Into that opening! He can't reach us there," He cried when he spotted the gigantic crevice that split the rock side, just beyond the angry scorpion.

"We'll never make it!" Kankuro yelled, but took off after him anyway. The scorpion screamed angrily and snapped at them with its enormous claws, and Shikamaru yelped as one snapped shut just over his head. The rumbling earth made it difficult to run, and he wobbled this way and that over the trembling sand while the scorpion scuttled behind them, gaining ground impossibly fast. With a cry, Shikamaru dove into the small gap in the rock, the torch fluttering wildly as he sailed through the air. Kankuro landed roughly beside him, and the scorpion crashed into the wall with an angry, shrill wail, shoving one of its claws into the crevice to snap at them. They were thankfully just beyond its reach, but it's tantrum sent the entire rock wall rumbling, and pebbles began to rain down above them.

"It's gonna collapse! Move!" Shikamaru cried while scrambling to his feet, jerking Kankuro up by the back of his cat-eared hood. Dodging falling rocks the size of cattle, they weaved through the narrow space and went sailing through the exit just as the crevice gave way and it caved in on itself. Panting as they lie on their backs in the cool sand, they watched their only means of exiting the cave complex become filled with gigantic, immovable boulders.

"Well. That sucks," Kankuro groaned as his head flopped back into the sand. "How the hell are we gonna get out of here now?"

"We follow the blood," Shikamaru answered gravely. Holding the torch aloft, he pointed at the splatter of red blood decorating the rocky path leading into the darkness. Kankuro blinked at him, then snorted and vaulted to his feet, brushing sand of his black clothes. He held out a hand for Shikamaru, who took it and allowed the man to yank him to his feet. The torchlight spilled over the rocky walls and floor as they approached the bloody spatter, where Ayumi had seemingly collapsed before dragging herself onward. _Ayumi. I'm coming for you,_ he thought as he held the torch up, illuminating the blood trail leading through the small stone hall.

"Man. That's one tough girl, to keep going after losing this much blood," Kankuro commented with a grim expression as he regarded the dark red stain.

"You have no idea," Shikamaru snorted before walking forward, careful to walk along the edge of the bloody red splatters so as not to lose the trail. Sometimes he came close, as they faded out before reappearing with a fresh new puddle of thick red blood. _It hasn't dried all the way yet. She's close._ Unconsciously, his pave quickened, until the torchlight was bobbing furiously with his feverish steps. The blood splatters were growing larger and more intermittent, meaning that Ayumi was beginning to falter. Her bloody handprints were smeared across the walls where she had leaned heavily on it for support. _Please don't be dead. I'm so close, Ayumi, just hang on a little longer,_ he begged silently.

Abruptly the walls widened around them, and they were standing in another domed cave structure, but instead of dark the rock here was all glittering white. The top of the cave was open to the desert above, as sunlight poured in from the ceiling and made it seem like the entire room was alive with light. Stalactites and stalagmites had formed all across the cave from the river running slowly through the center of the stone room, making the air moist as the water evaporated from the heat of the sunlight.

There, on the banks of the river bleeding heavily from a gash in her arm, lay Ayumi.


	26. Chapter 25: The Escape

_**Author's Note:** Hello, everyone! I apologize for the lack of updates- as I understand, you have all been waiting eagerly for Ayumi and Shikamaru's romance to continue! The semester really picked up for me and I was unable to actively, update, but I am now home for the summer and will be able to return to the normal schedule! Thank you all for your support, and happy reading! _

Ayumi's eyes fluttered slightly as she felt herself slowly returning to consciousness. Everything was hazy and numb, like she was floating underneath water. _Where am I? How did I get here?_ She thought in muddled confusion as the feeling slowly began to return to her body. She almost wished it hadn't. Pain bloomed along her arm, like her arm was submerged in a raging fire. She sucked in a breath at the pain, her back arching and her ankles digging into the earth. Suddenly, she felt something cool on her forehead, and she felt somewhat relieved. The haziness slowly faded into clarity, and slowly the form of Shikamaru leaning over her pressing a damp piece of cloth to her forehead solidified.

"Shikamaru," she breathed as a smile formed on her face, and even though she was lying there bleeding and slightly delirious, her heart skipped a beat when he smiled back down at her.

"Ayumi," he sighed gently as he softly ran a hand down her cheek. She instinctively leaned her face against his hand, enjoying the feeling of him cupping her face. She hissed loudly as the pain blossomed in her arm once more. She turned her head to the side slightly to see a massive laceration spanning the entire expanse of her upper arm. Suddenly it all came flooding back: the palace floor collapsing, plummeting into the underground lake, her arm being slashed open by the underground stalactite, stumbling through the darkness.

"I was… so afraid…" she whispered, and Shikamaru gently shushed her, leaning down over her to brush her hair out of her face and kiss her softly.

"I know, I know. I'm here now," he soothed.

"Oh my _God,"_ came a disgusted voice, and they both looked up to see Kankuro sitting on the sandy rock with his arms propped up on his knees, and watching them with a scowl on his face. "Look, it's sweet and all, but you might want to bandage her arm or _she might die,"_ he snorted. Ayumi flushed slightly in embarrassment, but she was relieved to see that a blush had tinted Shikamaru's cheeks. The Jonin coughed uncomfortably and hastily dug into his pouch to retrieve a set of bandages.

"I'm gonna run out of these soon," he chuckled under his breath, but the expression on his face was pained as he grabbed the damp cloth and began wiping the blood from her arm. She winced as it felt like liquid fire ran through her nerves all over the left side of her body, and she clenched her teeth and tightly gripped the hem of her dress while Shikamaru worked on her wound. "Please don't make that face," he frowned down at her as he wrapped her arm in thick bandages.

"I'm sorry. I keep making you worry, don't I?" she smiled weakly, wincing one last time as he tied the bandages off. Slowly, the fiery pain faded into a dull throbbing, and she bit down on her lip slightly as she forced herself into a sitting position. Just that movement made her head spin, and as she flopped sideways Shikamaru caught her by the shoulders.

"You lost a lot of blood. Try not to move too much," he told her gently, rubbing her back soothingly. With a huff, Kankuro hopped to his feet and strolled over, looking around the expansive room with a small frown.

"Hey. Shikamaru, look over there," he called suddenly, pointing off into the distance. Ayumi followed the Sand ninja's indication to a small bundle of charred wood on the edge of the slowly moving river. _Someone has been here recently,_ she thought with a pang of fear. "It looks like the reports are right. That campfire can't be more than a day old."

"Do you think he could still be lurking around here?" Shikamaru growled as he pulled a kunai from his pouch and pulled Ayumi a little closer. "We should probably get out of here," he decided with a glance down at her. "Ayumi needs a medical ninja as soon as possible." At his decision, Ayumi disentangled herself from the Jonin and slowly rose to her feet; however, as soon as she did the entire world swirled and she wobbled unsteadily. "Ayumi! You can't walk!" he cried and shot to his feet to steady her.

"O-oh, I'm sorry…" she stammered as she leaned heavily against him. _Oh, look at me… I'm such a mess… Is all I can do cause him problems?_ She thought miserably. She then cried out as Shikamaru abruptly scooped her into his arms. "H-hey! I'm fine! I can walk!" she protested even though it was a complete and total lie. However, Shikamaru was adamant, and grabbed her arms to wrap them around his neck and straighten up. _Oh, who am I kidding?_ She thought with a small smile, gripping him tightly. She couldn't help but enjoy being wrapped in his big, strong arms. _He really will always protect me,_ she thought happily as he smiled gently at her.

"Good God, I'm _so_ glad I didn't spend this much time with you and Temari," Kankuro groaned loudly and strolled past them while making throwing up gestures.

"Kill the mood, why don't you?" Shikamaru grumbled before readjusting her in his arms and following after his comrade, traveling along the edge of the river.

Now that Ayumi was conscious and somewhat of sound mind, she could appreciate the room that she had collapsed in. It was a gorgeous rock formation made of glittering white stone that sparkled in the sunlight streaming in through the hole far above them. She stared up at the great blue sky for a moment. _How ironic,_ she thought gloomily as she watched the white, fluffy clouds sailing by. They were so close to a way out, but there was no way that Shikamaru could climb with her, and the rocks were slippery anyway; she could see the slick sheen of water droplets clinging to the smooth white surface, making the room sparkle like diamonds. So, they had no choice but to follow the river, hoping it led to a way out.

The river disappeared into a dark tunnel, and the two ninjas and their injured archaeologist unflinchingly descended into the blackness, treading carefully with only the sound of the sloshing water and the light in the distance to guide them. Ayumi blushed slightly as she felt Shikamaru's grip tighten slightly around her, holding her carefully as he eased his way over the slippery, rocky ground. "I'm the one who should be sorry," he mumbled abruptly, catching her by surprise.

"What?" she asked, blinking in the darkness at his barely distinguishable form. From his outline, she could tell that he was looking away from her, probably with a guilty expression on his face.

"I let you fall," he choked out. _Is he crying?_ "I thought I had lost you…"

"Hey," she frowned, reaching up with her good arm to gently lay a hand on his cheek and turn his face towards her. "It was an accident. There was nothing else you could have done," she insisted firmly, then smiled gently. "Besides, you came down here for me, didn't you? That's what matters." She then sighed deeply and wrapped both her arms around him, laying her head on his shoulder as she hugged him tightly. "You won't ever lose me, Shikamaru. I promise you that," she murmured, half to herself. _I can't worry him like this anymore. I have to make myself stronger, so he doesn't have to protect me all the time,_ she thought as she absent-mindedly curled her fingers into the hair on the back of his neck. She heard Shikamaru snort slightly, and then she felt the side of his face brushing against hers.

"I'll hold you to that," he smirked into her ear, and then pressed a kiss into her neck. Ayumi smiled, grateful they were in the dark so that they could share that tender moment without Kankuro making some snide comment or another. Then, the darkness gave way to shining light, and she raised her head as she heard Shikamaru inhale sharply.

"Oh, wow," she breathed in wonder. The room that they had wandered into was like the first, with dark grey stone and black sand, but the walls were all glittering with the light of thousands of colorful blue crystals. They shone with a pale turquoise light, reflecting the thin line of blue sky far above their heads. They had come to a sort of canyon that the river had carved out over tens of thousands of years, slicing down deep into the rock to reveal the treasure horde of gems embedded into the walls. As Shikamaru carried her along the river, they made a kaleidoscope of blue lights, reflecting across the river and dappling the ground and the three of them. She raised an eyebrow as Shikamaru reached out to the wall, plucking a loose gem free and holding it out to her. She took it gingerly, staring wide-eyed at the beautiful crystal as she turned it over and over in her hand.

"Thank you," she murmured gratefully, looking up at him with a smile.

"Thought you would like a souvenir," he chuckled, then abruptly stiffened and looked ahead. Ayumi blinked and followed his gaze to see that Kankuro was down on the ground with his three scrolls unrolled in front of him, glaring at the stranger perched on a jutting rock formation a few yards ahead of them. "Ayumi, just stay behind me," he told her quietly and lowered her to the ground, and she hastily stepped a few paces back, leaning on the wall for support as he straightened up and walked forward to join the Sand ninja.

"Looks like we found what we were looking for," Kankuro smirked as he continued to eye the strange man. Ayumi swallowed nervously as his eyes landed on her, and the cold look made her shudder. _It's like the man in the woods,_ she thought, raising a hand to her neck where the bandages still covered the gash in her throat. _He must be here for…_

"Hand over the girl!" the stranger shouted as he drew a ninja sword and pointed it threateningly at the two men. "Then kindly roll over and die to make my job easier."

"Fat chance of that!" Kankuro shouted, and suddenly smoke filled the air. Out of the scrolls appeared a trio of puppets, and the puppeteer wasted no time sending them clattering through the air towards the rogue human smuggler. The man gritted his teeth angrily and leaped into the air as the puppet opened its mouth and unleashed a volley of poison-tipped needles; they crashed harmlessly into the rock where the man had just been. _Where did he go?_ She thought as she looked around wildly, and she caught a flash of movement above her. He was running alongside the canyon wall in her direction.

"Oh, no you don't, asshole!" Shikamaru growled and dropped down into a squat, placing his hands together into a handsign. "Kankuro! Can you lure him closer?" he hissed.

"Working on it!" Kankuro grunted as he swung his hands, the chakra strings glowing blue-white as they snapped through the air and sent another puppet up the canyon wall. The strange ninja jumped out of the way, somersaulting through the air to land back on the cave wall several yards down. Ayumi gasped as he came dashing toward her, an evil grin distorting his face. She stumbled back from the wall, but she still had not recovered from her sheer amount of blood loss, and she felt her legs give way. She landed roughly on her behind as he jumped down in front of her.

"Got you now!" he grinned evilly at her, the sword flashing in the glittering crystal light.

Then he froze on the spot.

"Heh. Got _you_ , you rotten bastard," Shikamaru smirked. "Shadow Possession worked just in time," he smiled as he rose to his feet. The stranger jerked stiffly and straightened up, the sword clattering to the ground as it fell from his hand. Kankuro dropped down beside Shikamaru with a length of rope, quickly tying up the enemy ninja. Ayumi watched as the dark shadow retreated from the ninja, and he fell roughly to his knees as Kankuro clocked him in the back of the head. He reeled for a moment before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped forward, flopping onto his face right in front of Ayumi, making her jump violently.

"Well, he'll be out for quite a while," Kankuro sniffed, then grunted as he hefted the unconscious man over his shoulder. He glanced up at the open ceiling of the canyon with narrowed eyes, then sighed deeply and began walking along the edge of the river one more. "We had better get going. The sun looks like it's going to set soon," he called back. Shikamaru nodded and scooped her into his arms again to follow after the Sand ninja.

"Hey, the ground is sloping," Shikamaru remarked after they had been walking for quite some time, and Ayumi glanced down to see that he was right. The ground was slowly rising at a steady angle, and the cliff walls had grown much shorter.

"Hey, Shikamaru! There's a kind of stairway here," Kankuro called back to them as he pointed up at the wall, and as they turned they could see that there were a series of steps carved into the rock face. With a grunt, Kankuro hopped onto the first one and slowly began to pick his way up the cliffside, and Shikamaru followed suit. As they inched their way upwards, the sky above them began to turn a rich shade of gold, and as Ayumi looked down at her hand she gasped.

"They're clear!" she realized as she held it up to the sky, and it caught the color and began to flow with a yellow light. Below them, the blue crystals were also beginning to fade into the golden color, reflecting the changing hues of the sky above. Gold turned into pink, and then into red when they finally reached the top of the stairway and came out on the cliffs overlooking the sprawling ruin complex.

"Well, look at that. Your girlfriend was right," Kankuro huffed as he walked to the edge of the precipice and looked down at the sheer cliff face. Despite the harrowing experience and the gaping gash in her arm, Ayumi blushed, happy to have been of some use and her hypothesis proving correct. Kankuro huffed and looked at the unconscious man still slung over his shoulder. "I'll hand this guy over to the intelligence division as soon as we get back. We'll let you know if we find out anything important," he remarked to Shikamaru, looking back over his shoulder.

"Thanks," Shikamaru called over, then glanced down at her. She shifted uncomfortably, the pain in her arm beginning to worsen, and then yawned. _I'm suddenly so tired,_ she realized. It was likely all the stress she had been under, not to mention her blood loss, and it was all finally catching up to her. She sleepily returned Shikamaru's gaze, and he smiled gently as he held her closely.

"Go ahead and go to sleep. The hard part is over," he murmured to her. As much as she wanted to stay awake, her body was fighting her fiercely, and she finally gave in and turned her face into his chest. She smiled slightly as she could hear his heartbeat, quietly pounding beneath his vest and shirt, and for a moment between sleep and reality she thought it was beating a little faster than normal. The rhythmic sound and warm desert air pushed her over the edge, lulling her into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


	27. Chapter 26: The Ultimatum

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes as he perched on the thick tree branch overlooking the dirt road, scanning for any sign of life as he gripped a kunai tightly in his fist. He tensed as a flicker of movement caught his attention on the right side of the road, and he raised the weapon as the bushes shook violently. He exhaled deeply and relaxed when a young deer stepped out onto the path, its ears swiveling as it analyzed the area. Shikamaru snorted slightly as he leaned against the trunk of the tree, watching as the deer grazed for a few minutes before bolting off into the woods.

After the incident in the Land of Wind, Shikamaru and Ayumi returned home while the rogue ninja remained in the Sand Village to be questioned by their intelligence division. It didn't take him long to confess the truth of the operations within the ruins, and Ayumi's hypothesis had been right on the money. He had told them of another base within the Land of Fire, halfway between the ruins and the Leaf Village, and so here Shikamaru was with a group of Anbu Black Ops to root the scoundrels out and hopefully put an end to their human smuggling ring. They were scattered in the trees a few yards away, surrounding the small cave three meters away from the road. If the captured rogue had told the truth, that cave was another stop on the great network of kidnapping and transporting women. Shikamaru bristled as he gazed at the unassuming rock formation that held the overbearing threat to his village and its people- to Ayumi.

He jerked as another flicker of movement caught his attention, and he whipped around just in time to see the body of one of the Anbu plummet to the ground, a handful of shuriken embedded into his back. In an instant, the forest exploded with shouts and battle cries and weapons flying through the air, as the Anbu raced through the trees with hordes of rogue ninja on their tails. Shikamaru half-jumped, half-fell from the tree in an attempt to evade a string of kunai that crashed out of the bushes. They slammed into the area of the trunk where he had been sitting with repeated _thunks,_ but one came so close that it ripped the fabric of Shikamaru's vest. He landed on the ground with a huff, only to be met by a group of angry enemies.

Shikamaru knocked aside the kunai they flung at him, taking a hesitant step back as they all jumped at him in unison. He ducked their blows, returning them one by one and sending the thugs to the ground; however, for every foe he felled several more were there to take his place, and he soon began to find himself overwhelmed and the victim of a cleverly planned ambush. As he stood there, panting and covered with a myriad of scratches, his enemies snickered as they hovered just beyond his reach. _They aren't trying to kill me,_ he realized with a sinking feeling. Suddenly, the crowd of thugs parted to allow a large man to pass through, and as the man stopped on the edge of the crowd Shikamaru's blood turned to ice.

"You!" he hissed as his eyes widened, and rage unlike anything he had ever felt boiled inside of him at the sight of that same, mocking grin, those piercing evil eyes and the ugly scar distorting the monster's face. " _I'm gonna kill you!"_ he roared as the image of the man holding his wife's limp, bloody body flashed in his mind, and all the weariness dissipated instantaneously as fury drove him forward. He hacked and slashed, but his body couldn't keep up with his mind's demand; his arch enemy just moved out of the way like it was nothing, toying with the angry Jonin for a bit before abruptly driving his fist into the side of Shikamaru's head. He dropped the kunai as his entire world was rocked, and he was seeing double as he stumbled unsteadily in the wake of the blow. He could dimly feel a river of blood running from the top of his head, hot and thick.

"Nice to see you again," smirked the two hazy forms of the evil man, and Shikamaru blinked rapidly as he struggled to remain on his own two feet. _Is this really it?_ He thought blankly. _Ayumi… What about Ayumi?_ He gritted his teeth as someone grabbed him roughly by the collar, and then suddenly a fist was flying towards his face, and everything went dark.

Shikamaru awoke slowly, with his head pounding furiously. He lifted his head groggily, sending a fresh wave of pain across his skull so potent that he clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. He groaned lowly and went to lift his hands to his head, but found that he was met with resistance. He cracked an eye open to see that he was bound by thick ropes, with his arms and legs tied to a simple wooden chair. It all came back to him then, and he forced down the panic rising inside of him to begin wriggling his hands, attempting to slide one close enough to the pouch on his thigh and pull out a knife to cut himself free.

"I've taken all your weapons. There is nothing you can do," laughed a familiar voice, and Shikamaru's head shot up. In the gloom he could discern a large shape hovering just beyond the edge of the light, but he knew who it was.

"Come out, traitor," he snarled angrily as he jerked against the ropes, making the chair bounce across the rocky floor. He received a cruel, mocking laugh in response, and the sound made Shikamaru's head pound all the more. He slumped weakly down into the chair, hissing at the intense throbbing pain beating on the inside of his skull where he had been punched savagely. After a minute of cackling at Shikamaru's expense, the form slowly lumbered forward, and the large man pulled up a chair to sit across from the Jonin.

"You're awfully bold for a man at my mercy," the scarred man purred as he turned a kunai over and over in his hands. Shikamaru glanced down at it, expecting to see the edge coated in poison, but it was just a regular steel blade. "Don't worry," he chuckled in response to the man's uneasiness, "I don't intend to kill you."

"Then what _do_ you intend to do?" Shikamaru huffed. If he had wanted to kill him, he would have done it out in the woods rather than go through the trouble of abducting him- unless he wanted to humiliate him first, or was intending on getting information out of him. Shikamaru clenched his teeth, grinding them together slightly as he anticipated the harrowing time to come. Sitting across from him was a man who specialized in torture, and hated Shikamaru for some strange reason, on top of that. _I would rather save myself the trouble,_ he thought as he bit down lightly on his tongue.

"I just want to talk," the man said magnanimously as he leaned back in the chair, staring at him levelly. "How's your son?" Shikamaru felt his blood run cold, and his eyes widened slightly as he swallowed a gasp. It was innocent enough question, but he knew the underlying message. He leaned forward, his voice unsteady.

" _What the hell do you want from me?"_ he snarled, trembling with a mixture of fear and fury. He strained against the ropes, wanting nothing more than to wrap his hands around his thick neck and throttle the life out of him, but they would not give. The man smirked evilly and leaned forward so that their faces were inches away from each other, their eyes filled with such hatred for one another that sparks of electricity seemed to shoot between them. If looks could kill, they would be dead ten times over.

"Just vengeance. That's all," he answered simply, and Shikamaru's anger was briefly replaced with confusion.

"What are you talking about? I've never done anything to you," he growled, straightening up in the chair as the large man rose to his feet and began to slowly walk in circles around the bound man, tossing the kunai high into the air and catching it by the handle. Shikamaru frowned at the unsettling feeling of his eyes boring into the back of his head. _What is he talking about?_

" _You've_ never done anything to me, that is true. If I had what I wanted, it would be your father strapped to that chair," he admitted, stopping in front of Shikamaru to point the edge of the knife at his chest. "Unfortunately, life doesn't work out that way. He died before I had the chance to exact my revenge, and so now I'm stuck with you."

"My father was a good man," Shikamaru grumbled. He inhaled sharply as the man jammed the point of the kunai into his chest, just barely nicking him so a dribble of blood stained his shirt. His expression had turned thunderous, and he knew that if he didn't tread lightly, he may end up dead after all.

" _My_ father was a _great_ man. A visionary," the other man huffed, slowly withdrawing from Shikamaru and turning his back to him. "He worked in the intelligence division alongside the like of Ibiki Morino. No one fell into his clutches and was able to keep secrets," he sighed in admiration. "However, once your father caught wind of my father's work, he put an end to it. Said he was 'psychotic' and was acting only in the interest of his own bloodlust rather than the interest of the safety of the village. It was all lies!" he shouted, flinging the kunai into the wall with such force that it cracked the rock and stuck there. "So, my father was discredited and humiliated. He chose rather to end his own life than live with the shame," he huffed and turned back to the confused ninja. "I was a boy at the time, but I knew the truth. Your father was intimidated by my father's prowess."

"You're insane," Shikamaru laughed in slightly delirium, simply amazed by how separated from reality the man was. Shikamaru gasped as his fist wrapped around his throat, jerking his head back into the back of the chair.

"Am I?" he snarled as he brought his face close. "Maybe so. I don't care. I've lived my life waiting to unleash my vengeance, and I will have it!" he cried with a demonic smile. "I can't kill your father like I wanted to, but I can have the next best thing. I'll make you suffer like no one on this earth has suffered before. This human smuggling ring? It means nothing to me. It's all a front to get to _you._ Watching you run around like the little loyal dog you are, hot on my trail but never close enough to catch me," he cackled as he tightened his grip slightly around Shikamaru's neck, restricting his airways. "Watching you slowly drive yourself insane in the wake of your wife's death," he added, and Shikamaru's anger flared, making him jerk in the chair in an effort to rip himself free of the ropes.

"Sh-shut your mouth!" he groaned, but the man only laughed cruelly.

"Oh, it was sweet. I almost had you, until that pretty little thing came along," he purred. _Ayumi,_ Shikamaru realized with a chill, falling still as his eyes grew wide with horror. He stared in shock as the man retreated, straightening up with a smirk. "Oh, yes, I know about the teacher. All about her. You have no idea how far my reach extends," he smiled and turned his back. "If I wanted to, I could have her killed right now-"

" _No!"_ Shikamaru shouted, flinging himself forward with such force that he fell flat on his face. He spit dirt out of his face, tears stinging his eyes. _Not again, I can't do it again!_ "Please. Do whatever you want to me, just leave her out of it. She's innocent in all of this!" he begged. The man laughed and grabbed the back of the chair to sit him upright again, squatting down in front of him. Despite all his pride, Shikamaru couldn't keep his bottom lip from quivering, or stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. _I can't lose her. Not like Temari._

"You care about her that much?" he mused. "You're a pathetic man," he laughed and clapped Shikamaru roughly on the shoulder. "You want to keep her alive? Fine. I won't kill her."

"Why?" he huffed. It made no sense to him.

"Because I want you to suffer, and what more suffering exists in this world than knowing you can't have something?" he mused darkly. "I'll let her live provided you cut all ties with the girl. I get any inkling that the two of you are involved, and I'll come for her, Shikamaru Nara," he swore and stood back up. Shikamaru swallowed, the cold fingers of fear wrapping around his heart.

"You promise you'll let her live...?" he murmured. He knew the word of a rogue was worth nothing, but the thought of losing Ayumi was more than he could stand.

"As long as you hold up your end of the bargain," he promised with a theatrical bow. "And another thing. Stay out of my smuggling business. It may be a front, but it's a profitable one," he added with a smirk. Shikamaru fell silent for a minute, then nodded slowly. _I have to keep Ayumi safe… If he wants me to suffer, then I'll suffer gladly if it means she'll be out of harm's way…_ he thought.

"Good man," he mused, and then his fist collided with the side of Shikamaru's head once more, and his vision went dark.

When he awoke, he was lying on his back on the road with a couple of flustered travelers hovering around him. He sat up slowly, reaching up to find his head wrapped in bandages. It was still pounding, though. After getting his bearings and ensuring the travelers that he was quite fine enough to travel by himself, he began the long, lonely journey home. He trudged along with his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slumped and his heart heavy with foreboding. _What good is his word? He could tell me one thing, and do another just to spite me. But if there's a chance…_

If there was a chance, he had to take it. If spurning Ayumi was the only way to keep her alive, he would do it.

Even if it was the hardest thing he would ever have to do in his entire life.

When he finally dragged himself through the gates of the village, it was already in an uproar. The gatekeepers informed him that he had been gone for almost three days without any information, and they had found the carnage and the bodies of the slain Anbu Black Ops. They had feared the worst of him. They brought him to Naruto, where he filled him in on the bare bones of what had occurred, leaving out his deal with the rogue ninja. As such, Naruto took him off the pursuit team of the human smugglers and sent him off to the hospital, where he was treated for minor head trauma and sent home. By that point it was late into the night, and Shikamaru found that his feet did not carry him home, but to the cemetery.

To his father's headstone.

He knelt down in front of the cold stone, resting his hands on his lap as he looked miserably up at the stars. Who could be blame the entire situation on? His father? He had only been acting in the best interest of the village. Himself? How could he have known what a monster had been created. There was no one to blame, only cruel fate. He sighed and patted the stone without a word, standing up to trudge home. He paused as he stepped beside his wife's grave, and the tears began to flow freely as he crumpled down in front of it and knelt his forehead against the cool stone.

"What do I do, Temari?" he whispered. "What do I do?"

"Shikamaru?" called a familiar voice, and he sucked in a breath as he felt his heart shatter. He rose stiffly to his feet as Ayumi ran across the grass to stop beside him. "I heard you were back. I was so worried... They were afraid you were dead."

"I'm fine," he said gruffly, avoiding her gaze. She reached up to gently lay her hand on his shoulder, and he bit down on his lip as he roughly shrugged her away.

"Sh-shikamaru?" she whispered, and he shook his head at the sound of her voice, confused, full of pain. _What do I do? It hurts so much, but I can't, I can't…_ All he wanted to do was take her into his arms and hold her, and kiss her. But he couldn't.

He wouldn't.

"I have to go," he murmured as he trudged away from her. She took a few hesitant steps after him.

"Shikamaru? What's wrong?" she called, but he swallowed his words. _Please. Please, don't make this any harder than it has to be,_ he begged her silently. She didn't follow him as he exited the cemetery and walked silently all the way home, and as soon as he closed the door, he collapsed against the wood and slid down to the floor, crying more bitterly than he had in a long, long time.

He hadn't been more heartbroken since his wife was snatched away from him, and now the only woman he could ever love again was on the verge of being ripped away from him, too.


	28. Chapter 27: Ayumi's Heartbreak

Ayumi stared sorrowfully into her cup of tea, mindlessly swirling a spoon around in the liquid despite the fact that all the sugar had dissolved long ago and the drink was now undoubtedly cold. She abandoned the effort as her mind returned for a brief moment, finding that the thought of consuming the beverage made her nauseated, and stood from her kitchen table to pour the liquid down the sink and flip on the water to begun cleaning it out. However, she stood there for a good five minutes with the water running and overflowing the cup and splashing all over her hand. When she realized what she was doing, she turned the water off with a look of disgust and set the clean cup to the side, then leaned against the counter with her forehead in her hand.

 _It's no use. I can't concentrate,_ she thought as she bit down on her lip. _Shikamaru…_

It had been three days since the incident in the cemetery, when he had left her teary-eyed and heartbroken. No matter how much she thought about it, she just couldn't understand what had made him act that way. What had occurred on his mission that had upset him so deeply that he saw hit to spurn her that day? Why did he still avoid her even now, going so far as to send Choji or Ino to retrieve his son from school rather than coming himself? Though it was clearly asinine, she sometimes wondered if it was something _she_ had done, and though she reassured herself that it could not possibly be the case, the fear still lingered at the back of her mind. The strange puzzle just would not fit together, and so she was just left in this miserable limbo, unsure of what to do or think.

As time dragged endlessly on, she busied herself to try and draw her mind away from the man she loved by poring over books she had not read in years or organizing her messy office, but after a short time she would just end up sitting there staring into nothing while her mind wandered through various terrible scenarios. _What if he was threatened, and he is afraid to talk to me about it? What if he did something on the mission and is ashamed to look at me? What if he realized after the Sand mission that I am weak, and doesn't want to be with me?_ and the practical fear of _What if he found another woman?_

Ayumi soon abandoned the effort and decided that fresh air may do her some good. She ventured out into the city. It was strange how despite the fact that her entire world felt upended, the life in the city seemed constant. As always, the streets were bustling with people of all sorts- ninjas who were in-between missions, young mothers toting about their children as they took care of daily chores, old men lounging about drinking sake, teenage girls flitting about giggling about their crushes. Ayumi's heart wrenched with pain when she saw the young couples pressed closely together and holding hands as they talked in low voices, obviously deep in love. Ayumi averted her gaze and quickened her pace, though she was not entirely sure where she was going.

Her steps slowed to a stop as she entered a familiar section of the city. Her feet moved on their own, carrying her to the quaint flower shop owned by none other than Ino Yamanaka. Ayumi stopped outside the display window, but for once the blooming flowers in all their color and splendor gave her no joy. She smiled wryly at the level of her misery before stepping inside the shop. A little bell signaled her arrival, and she waited awkwardly at the entrance. She wasn't sure why she had even stepped into the shop in the first place, but before she could change her mind and mount an escape, she caught the flash of bright blonde hair between the rows of flowers.

"Ayumi!" Ino called jovially as she rounded the corner and waved at the teacher. As soon as she clapped eyes on the woman, her blue eyes narrowed in confusion. "You look terrible! What's wrong?" She gasped and hurried over to grab Ayumi by the shoulders and shake her slightly. Ayumi's bottom lip quivered for a second as a sudden storm of misery washed over her and she came dangerously close to tears; yet, she knocked it aside and managed to give her friend a tiny smile.

"Ah… It's nothing major," she told her, not wanting to trouble the woman with her petty problems. Ino had a child to raise and a business to run; she didn't have time to deal with the bump in Ayumi's relationship. Ino was not having that, however, and she promptly steered Ayumi to a chair and plopped her down.

"Now, spill!" she commanded as she pulled up a chair in front of Ayumi, and as she stared at her intently, Ayumi felt the wall she had built begin to crumble. Next thing she knew, the tears were flowing freely and her heart was aching with more pain than she ever thought possible.

"It's Shikamaru," she sputtered, and once she began, it all began to pour out of her. "He's been acting strange ever since he returned from his mission. He wouldn't talk to me when he came back, and now he's been avoiding me like the plague! He seemed so troubled, but I can't… He's _avoiding_ me. I don't understand, Ino. Just a week ago, I thought things were going so well, and now…" she trailed off as she rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands, sniffling miserably. "I f-feel like… Everything is f-falling apart… and th-that I'm close to l-l-losing h-him!" That thought alone was too much to bear, and she hiccupped as she broke out into a fresh wave of sobs and curled up in the chair. All the feelings she had held inside for the last three days exploded out of her at once. Ino rubbed her back soothingly.

"I know how you feel," she smiled slightly as Ayumi finally began to calm down. The teacher sat up, staring at Ino with puffy, red eyes. "You've just hit a bump in the road, that's all. Shikamaru sometimes gets into these moods. He's the type of person that tries to bottle up his problems and take them on himself… But he'll come to you when he's ready. You just have to give him time, that's all."

"Are you sure?" She asked quietly as she wiped her face, but she felt the beginnings of hope flutter in her heart. Ino nodded encouragingly, and a genuine smile formed on Ayumi's face for the first time in days.

"You know what? We should go drinking tonight!" Ino exclaimed suddenly and grabbed her tightly by the hands. "What do you say?" Ayumi must have looked hesitant, because Ino leaned forward and pressed, "You don't get enough, Ayumi! It's good to go out and de-stress!" Ayumi smiled, then slowly nodded. Ino clapped her hands together in delight, and Ayumi spent the day among the flowers and her friend.

That night, she walked with Ino through the streets of Konoha. Sai had generously consented to watch Inojin for the night, and part of Ayumi was almost disappointed that she didn't get to witness _that_ adventure. However, she was excited to be spending the evening with Ino.

"It's been ages since I've been out like this," she remarked as she strolled alongside the young mother and looked around. She then frowned slightly. "The last time… Shikamaru took me to dinner," she sighed. She then cried out in alarm as Imo suddenly bonked her vigorously on the head multiple times. "Ow!" she whined as she rubbed her head tenderly, glaring at the woman. "What was that for?"

"I didn't invite Mopey for drinks! Cheer up, buttercup, or I'm giving you the boot!" Ino scolded, but the playfulness in her smile told Ayumi that she was only trying to cheer her up in that boisterous, headstrong way of hers. Soon they reached the bar and sat down, ordering a cocktail each and enjoying each other's company. It didn't take them long to make their way through several cocktails, and as the alcohol worked on Ayumi's system she felt herself growing a little happier, like a great weight was lifted off her shoulders.

"Ah! This was a great idea!" she beamed as she bumped Ino with her shoulder, making her drink slosh slightly. "We should do this more often! Girls' night out! We could invite Sakura, too!" she suggested eagerly. She blinked when a vaguely familiar voice suddenly called out to them from the entrance of the bar, and she and Ino turned as someone approached.

"Oh, hey, Choji!" Ino beamed as she husky man plopped down next to them and grinned. _Oh, yes. Chocho's father,_ Ayumi recalled as she smiled politely at the man. If her memory served, he, Ino, and Shikamaru all served on the same team since they were Genin.

"Hello, ladies. Out for a girls' night, I see?" he smiled cheerfully.

"Yeah!" Ino grinned and threw her arm happily around Ayumi's shoulders. "What brings you here?"

"Actually, I'm meeting Shikamaru for drinks! What a coincidence, huh?" Choji beamed innocently. At the mention of the man's name, Ayumi's heart stopped dead and she instantly sobered.

"Wh-what? No! You can't meet Shikamaru here!" Ino screeched and reached past Ayumi to shake Choji angrily. "Leave! Change plans, before it's too late!" Poor Choji was perplexed and argued Ino up and down while the woman desperately tried to explain, while Ayumi just sat there in complete shock with her cocktail glass shaking violently in her trembling hands. Ino and Choji suddenly went eerily quiet as the door to the bar opened, and she heard someone gasp. _I know that voice,_ she thought, H err heartbeat suddenly skyrocketing.

"Damn," she heard Shikamaru mumble, and the sadness in his voice was unmistakable. "Come on, Choji, let's go somewhere else."

"No!" Ayumi screeched suddenly and slammed the glass down onto the floor and jumping down from the chair to face the man that had been avoiding her. Perhaps the alcohol had made her bold, as she didn't not quail as she glared determinedly at the shocked ninja. She pointed at him, tears of frustration and sadness rising to the corners of her eyes. "I won't let you run from me anymore! Damn it, Shikamaru!" she screeched as she stamped her foot, crunching the glass under her feet.

"What happened to waiting for him to come to you?" Ino cried, but Ayumi was far, far beyond that now. The alcohol had muddled her mind, and as soon as she had heard the misery in his voice, she could not let him walk away without making the effort to stop him. Even now, as he stood across the room from her, she could tell that the last three days had been hell for him. He had bags under his eyes and new lines in his face, and his eyes, which had been so full of life and love, were just dead, dark pits of despair.

"No way in hell," she hissed to her and took a step forward, her arm shaking as she continued to point at him. He just stared at her quietly, which just served to further agitate the writhing emotions competing inside her body. "Why, Shikamaru? Why did you just leave me like that, huh?" She cried. She didn't care that the entire bar was staring at them in a state of shock. All she cared about was getting through to him, some way, somehow. "Why have you been avoiding me? Why won't you talk to me? _Why?"_

"What I do is no concern of yours," her murmured softly. Ino gasped in shock, and even Choji looked taken aback at the coldness in his voice. All the frustration and anger suddenly boiled away, and Ayumi lowered her arm as the tears began to stream down her cheeks. _This... This is not Shikamaru,_ she thought wildly. There was no trace of the warmth in his eyes as he stared levelly at her, nor the happiness in his mouth as he frowned tautly. He was like stone, hard, unyielding, completely shutting her out. She twitched as he suddenly turned and opened the door. "I'm leaving, whether you're coming with me or not, Choji," he called before stepping out onto the street. Ayumi stood there for a second, then flew into a panic and rushed out after him. She stumbled out onto the street, breathless with panic.

"Wait!" she screamed at him desperately, and he halted in the middle of the road with his back to her. "Don't go! Please!" she begged him. She was sobbing now. "Shikamaru, please, don't leave me," she pleaded miserably, and she saw his shoulders tense and his body go rigid. She realized now that whatever Shikamaru was going through had _everything_ to do with her, and if she let him go now, that would be the end of it all. "Please," she whispered and took a few shaky steps toward him. "Just tell me what's wrong. I'll do anything to fix it, anything. Just talk to me, Shikamaru. Please." She reached out for him, and for a moment she thought he would turn around.

"I love you, Ayumi, but this is something that you can't fix. It's for your own sake," he told her gently, and then he took a step, and then another, and then he was walking away from her, out of her life for good. It felt like the world whirled around her, and somehow she ended up on the ground. She tried to stand and run after him, but her legs wouldn't move, and he got farther and farther away. She grabbed the closest thing to her, a discarded soda can, and threw it after him. It struck the ground and bounced a few times, hitting his leg harmlessly.

"You can't do that!" she wailed after him. "You can't say something like that! I love you, Shikamaru!" she wailed, digging her fingers into the soft earth of the road. She saw Shikamaru falter for a second and put his face in his hands, but then he started walking again, and her heart broke all over. "Damn it! Damn it, damn it, _damn it! Just tell me what to do!_ _ **Tell me!"**_ she screamed up at the starry night sky. All go a sudden, she swayed as a wave of exhaustion crashed over her, and as she fell to the side she landed in Ino's arms. Ayumi buried her face into her friend's shoulder, sobbing miserably.

"Ayumi…" she sighed down at her, but was at a loss for words. She just rhythmically rubbed Ayumi's back, staring forlornly at the rapidly shrinking silhouette of Shikamaru leaving them all behind.

In the end, she was no closer to discovering what had made Shikamaru act in such a way, and now he had chosen to leave her behind completely. The man she loved most in the world had just walked right out of her life into whatever darkness he was facing, leaving Ayumi behind in a darkness of her own.


	29. Chapter 28: Hope Blooms

When Shikadai walked into the classroom with his book tucked under his arm, he was shocked to find that the room was uncharacteristically quiet. His eyes widened slightly as he glanced across the rows of seats, and all of them were staring mutely down at the front where Ayumi was sitting at her desk. He followed their gazes, and when his eyes fell on the teacher, he could not help but gasp and take a startled step back.

It was not the cheerful, bright teacher that he knew and loved. Her eyes were no longer shining with happiness and intelligence, but were hollow pools of emptiness. Her hair, normally lush and falling around her face in soft waves, was pinned up in a messy bun, but it did not hide the fact that it was a tangled, unwashed mess. Her skin had lost its healthy glow and was now dull and lifeless. In fact, she herself just seemed dull and lifeless. It was an extreme shock. However, before he could run up to the teacher and confront her about her obviously distraught state of mind, the school bell rang and he was forced to scurry up the steps to his seat. He plopped down and watched with worried eyes as Ayumi seemed unaware of the fact that class had begun.

"Um… Miss Ayumi. The morning bell has rung," Sarada finally called, her voice soft as she glanced nervously at her classmates. Ayumi abruptly stirred to life and looked up, staring with unfocused eyes at the young girl as if she did not know who she was. Slowly, recognition bloomed on her expression, and she gasped and stood up unsteadily.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I was just lost in thought," she laughed, but the joy was lacking in her voice. As she stood up and tucked stray pieces of hair into her messy bun, she stumbled into the desk and cursed under her breath. Now that she was standing, it was clear to Shikadai that in the last week, his teacher had lost an alarming amount of weight. _Miss Ayumi… What's wrong?_

As the day went on, the boy's concern for her only grew. Her voice seemed strange; it did not echo throughout the entire room anymore, full of clear passion for what she was teaching, but was monotone and soft, so soft they sometimes strained to hear and asked her to repeat whatever she said. Then she would suddenly stop talking and just stare off into space with this miserably expression until one of them politely returned her attention to the task at hand. The entire time she avoided meeting any of them in the eye, and she refused to look at Shikadai completely. It seemed like the longest class period of his life, and when the final bell eventually rang, he was eager to leave for all the wrong reasons. While his classmates quietly exited the building whispering to themselves about the teacher's strange behavior, Shikadai ran right up to the desk.

"Miss Ayumi!" he cried, breathless from his feverish run down the steps. She kept her back to him as she robotically cleaned off the blackboard.

"Hello, Shikadai," she answered quietly. His little heart constricted in pain. She had never addressed him so coldly. Where was the woman who was always so delighted at the sight of him, who greeted him with a smile that put the sun to shame? Where was the woman who looked at him with love and made him feel safe? She wasn't standing in front of him. He began to feel the bitter taste of fear blossom on his tongue, and his stomach felt heavy, like he had swallowed a large rock. He tottered forward to gently grab the hem of her dress.

"Miss Ayumi? What's wrong?" he asked her with pleading eyes. If he could just find out what had made her so sad, perhaps he could help her. He gasped in shock as she roughly brushed his hand away and walked over to her desk to begin gathering her things. The action broke something inside of him, and made him even more frightened. He just could not understand why she was treating him this way. "Miss Ayumi? Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?" he sniffled as tears rose to the corners of his eyes, and he didn't even try to stop them as he ran up behind her and hugged her legs from behind. "Pl-please! I'll m-make it b-better! I'll g-get b-better gr-grades and b-b-be good!" he could barely speak, he was sobbing so hard. He felt every muscle in her body tense up, and he looked up tearfully as she gently rested her hand on top of his head, gently stroking his hair.

"Oh, Shikadai. It's not your fault. You're such a good boy," she whispered, but she still would not look at him. Her voice was shaking and her hand trembled as she reassuringly caressed him. He tightened his hold on her, digging his fingers into her dress.

"Wh-why are you s-so sad?" he asked her, but again, she refused to answer. It was then that he heard the sliding door to the classroom open, and he looked up and could barely make out the form of his father standing in the threshold through his blurry tears. He let go of the teacher to wipe his eyes while his father walked forward. "D-daddy…" he murmured, but fell silent when he realized that his father was seemingly unconcerned with the teacher's odd behavior. Instinctively, he grabbed onto Ayumi's dress once more. "Daddy… Miss Ayumi," he blinked as he stared in confusion at his oddly stoic father, then cried out in alarm as the man reached down to grab his arm firmly.

"It's time to go," Shikamaru told him, his voice harder than it ought to be. Shikadai began to grow afraid once more, and he looked in bewilderment between the trembling, quiet Ayumi and his stern father. He then wrenched his arm free and latched onto the woman, shaking his head as he stared in shock up at his father.

"No! Miss Ayumi is sad! You're supposed to make her feel better!" he protested and looked up at her. His eyes widened when he realized that she had begun to cry, holding a hand to her mouth as her shoulders shook. "Don't cry, Miss Ayumi. Daddy is here now. He'll make it better!" he insisted as he looked back at his father hopefully, but the small smile that had formed on his face instantly disappeared when he realized that his father had no interest in doing so. He dissolved into confusion once more, unable to comprehend the bizarre behavior of the adults.

"Shikadai, let's go now," Shikamaru growled, and the hostility in his voice startled the boy greatly. He squeaked in alarm as his father snatched his arm again, jerking him backwards. He screamed and writhed in an attempt to get away, grabbing onto the woman's dress. He began sobbing again. He just couldn't understand why his father would not comfort his teacher and why he was being so forceful and why Ayumi would not talk to either of them and why she was so despondent. It was too much for his young mind to wrap his head around. He shrieked defiantly and pulled his arm free to once again latch onto the teacher once more, burying his face into her side as he cried bitterly.

"N-no! Y-you have t-to make h-her b-b-better!" he screeched angrily. Seemingly irritated with his bratty behavior, Shikamaru grabbed him roughly and forcibly pried his fingers free before lifting him up by his middle. Shikadai screamed and kicked and hit, gasping for breath from crying so hard. " _Noooooooooo! I don't want to goooooooo!"_ he screamed angrily as his blows bounced harmlessly off the Jonin. Ayumi had collapsed into sobs herself, quaking as she fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands while her shoulders heaved as she cried. " _ **Miss Ayumiiiiiii!"**_ Shikadai shrieked as his father carried him out of the schoolyard. Shikadai continued to pitch his fit all the way home, fighting so forcefully that he even deigned to scratch and bite his father in an attempt to get free. His father said nothing the entire time, and when they got home and his father set him down in the living room, he immediately moved to run to the front door. His father snatched him up again and pushed him down onto the couch.

"Shikadai! That is _enough!_ " he barked angrily, and the bite in his voice was enough to silence the boy. Shikadai shut his mouth obediently, but his bottom lip continued to quiver violently and tears rolled down his cheeks in steadily flowing rivers. Occasionally he let out a hiccup or a shaky sob while his father sat down on the edge of the coffee table and put his head in his hands before sitting up and running a hand over his face. _Has Daddy always looked so old?_ Indeed, there were more lines in his face than he remembered. As he investigated further, he found that his father had the same hollow, dead look in his eyes that his teacher had.

"Daddy?" he whispered in slight fright.

"Shikadai. Please don't bother Miss Ayumi anymore," the man sighed heavily and scooted closer to him to look at his son sadly. The truth abruptly dawned on the young boy, and his eyes widened slightly.

"Are you and Miss Ayumi having a fight?" he asked quietly. His father exhaled deeply and sat up, rubbing the back of his neck as he struggled to find his words.

"It's not really a fight. It's just that we aren't together anymore," he explained vaguely, and Shikadai knit his eyebrows together in confusion as he tried to comprehend the adult issue.

"Why not?" he insisted with a deep frown. "You aren't having a fight. Why would you not be together anymore?" His father sighed once more and stood up, turning his back on the child to pace the room.

"It's just complicated, Shikadai. It's adult problems. You're too young to understand," he mumbled before collapsing in the arm chair. Shikadai blinked, then resolved to the fact that he would not be able to understand the conflict occurring between the two adults. He slipped off the couch and walked over to his father to climb up into his lap and hug him tightly. His father responded by pulling him close and rubbing his back. "I'm sorry, Shikadai. I know how hard this must be for you… You love Miss Ayumi so much," he murmured. Shikadai shook his head as he rested his head on his father's shoulder.

"No, Daddy… I think it's harder for you," he answered quietly. Shikamaru laughed bitterly, and buried his face into his son's neck. The boy felt the unmistakable wetness of tears smearing across his shirt.

"You're too damn smart for you own good," his father sniffed as he hugged him tightly, so tightly that he could crush him. Shikadai didn't say anything, though. He still couldn't comprehend why his father and the teacher were currently separated, but he did know that it was hard for both of them. _I have to be strong for Daddy,_ he resolved as he felt the familiar sting of tears rising in his eyes. The thought of Miss Ayumi no longer being a part of his life scared him greatly, but at the end of the day, his father was all he had, and he didn't want to return to the dark time when his father had been depressed and miserable. _If I show that I'm okay, maybe he'll be okay, too._

On the other side of town, Ayumi was trudging miserably through the dirt streets on her way home. She didn't care that she hadn't washed her hair or brushed it that morning, that she hadn't been eating and had barely been sleeping, or that the tear stains were obvious on her face. All she kept seeing was Shikadai, desperately clinging to her and wailing, unable to comprehend the struggle that she was going through and her apparent disconnection from his father. Seeing him suffer had broken her completely inside, and though she had thought that all the sorrow had been drained from her body to leave cold emptiness, it had crashed back over her like a tsunami. Her throat was rough and scratchy from coughing as a result of her hard sobs, and her muscles ached from the spasms. Even now, over half an hour later, she was still sniffling miserably and on the border of collapsing once more any moment. She managed to keep herself together until she arrived home. She fumbled with her gate, her hands shaking so violently that it took her a few minutes to undo the latch. She finally managed to get it open and walked into her garden. She glanced over at her daffodil patch that she had planted with the boys, as she habitually did every day when she got home from work. Instead of feeling pride and happiness, however, she felt the cold rush of terror.

"No! No, no, no, no, _no, no!"_ she cried as she ran over to the flower bed and collapsed to her knees in front of it. The green shoots had begun to wilt and were turning brown, and the little bud that had appeared early was withering away. "My daffodils! Oh, my God! No, don't die!" she whispered as the tears appeared fresh in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. She gently cupped the dying flowers in her hands. She wasn't quite sure why the fact disturbed her so. Perhaps she felt those little daffodils were her last link to Shikamaru and Shikadai, and if they died, then that part of her life really was gone forever. "Shikadai…" she sobbed, recalling the scene in the classroom where he had cried and begged, unable to understand why she and his father would not speak to one another. "You _can't_ die!" she screamed and jumped to her feet, taking off down the street in such a panic that she left her purse behind.

" _Ino! Inooooooo!"_ she wailed as she turned onto the street where the blonde woman's flower shop was situated. She dashed up to the front door and banged on the glass, in hysterics. It just kept flashing in her mind, Shikadai sobbing as he clutched onto her dress, Shikamaru walking away from her on the street, her dying daffodils. It was all just too much to take in such a short amount of time. It felt as if every passing day found ways to break her heart even more, and she wasn't sure know if there was anything that could put it back together. Barely holding together, she just kept pounding on the glass until a familiar form appeared in the door and pulled it open.

"Ayumi? Are you all right?" Sai blinked as he held open the glass door. Ayumi didn't even care that it wasn't her friend. It was _someone._ She dissolved into a blubbering mess and fell forward, and though the man had no idea what was happening, he caught her gently in his arms and led her into the shop, walking her to a stool and gently setting her down. Seemingly in response to her loud sobs, Ino came rushing into the room, tearing off her apron to throw it aside and hurry to her friend's side.

"Ayumi! What on Earth…?" she cried as she pulled up a stool beside her to grab her firmly by the shoulders and shake her. "Hey! Ayumi!" Sai walked off and returned shortly after with a steaming mug of tea, placing it in Ayumi's trembling hands. The tea sloshed all over her hands as she shook violently, but she was so swallowed by sorrow she did not even feel her fingers burning.

"D-d-daff-o-d-dils… D-d-dying…" she choked out as she tried to bring the mug to her lips. She managed to sip some of the tea despite splashing it all over her face and chest, staining her yellow dress brown. Still, the warm liquid soothed her somewhat, and she managed to calm down enough to contain her sobs to mild sniffles. "M-my daffodils are d-dying," she stated more clearly, and the husband and wife looked at each other with wide eyes before glancing back at her.

"Oh. Oh, dear," ino sighed and gently pulled her into a hug. Sai just stared at his wife, unable to grasp the underlying message. "Oh, it's going to be all right, Ayumi," Ino soothed and rubbed her friend's back as Ayumi cried softly into her shoulder.

"Shikadai… He doesn't understand," Ayumi sniffled and reached up with a hand to try and wipe her eyes, but the tears just continued to pour regardless of her efforts to contain them. "He c-cried and h-held onto m-my dress… He just d-doesn't understand wh-why… I couldn't even l-look at him, Ino. Oh, he was s-so upset… And Shikamaru just… t-took him away…" she explained miserably. "And now m-my d-d-d-daffo-d-dils…!" she stammered as she threatened to dissolve into sobs again.

"No, no, don't cry, Ayumi," Sai frowned deeply at her and put a hand on her shoulder. "There's still hope for them, isn't there?" Ayumi nodded eagerly, swallowing down the rest of her tears and wiping her eyes vigorously. _Hope. Yes, there's still hope,_ she told herself firmly. _I can't just give up… This isn't the end of anything. I still have my job, and my children…_ She reached out to grasp Ino's hand. _And my friends…_

"Are you all right now?" Ino asked her with a soft smile, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Ayumi nodded in affirmation and raised the cup to her lips to finish off the rest of her tea.

"Yes… I'm okay now. Thank you," she told them quietly. Her voice was even more hoarse now from the intense crying spell, and she could barely speak above a whisper. She wiped her eyes once more before breathing in deeply and exhaling. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you tonight… I should be getting home now," she told them and rose from the stool.

"Are you sure?" Sai asked with knitted eyebrows. "You are welcome to stay." Ayumi only shook her head simply in response.

"No, no, I'm really fine now. I need to go take care of my daffodils," she smiled at him and bowed lightly to the couple before handing the mug back to him. Ino rose to stand by her husband, and she waved at both of them as she walked out of the door. _They aren't dead yet._ She wasn't sure whether she could say the same about her relationship with Shikamaru, but she wasn't going to give up hope yet. _I'll keep trying. Relationships are like flowers. Sometimes they wither and it seems like they won't make it… But if you work hard, and put in all the time and care they need, they'll bounce back even stronger than before._

 _I just have to give all my love to him…_

 _And hope that's enough to make him see._


	30. Chapter 29: A Stern Talking-to

Shikamaru snorted as he was suddenly jerked awake by sudden banging towards the front of his house. He groaned as he sat up, and an empty bottle of sake rolled across the wooden floor as he shifted; that probably explained why his skull felt like it was splitting open. He ran a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose as a sudden movement of his head made fiery pain blossom in his head. The pounding echoed through the house once more, more insistent this time, and he stumbled to his feet, cursing as he tripped over the sake bottle.

"I'm coming!" he shouted at whoever was pounding at his door, pausing in the bathroom to splash some cold water onto his face in an attempt to sober himself up. The pain in his head lessened only slightly, and he shuffled toward the door mumbling under his breath. He threw the door open, and his eyes widened in shock when he saw none other than the young Hokage standing in the threshold.

"Hey," Naruto said simply as the Jonin stared at him dumbly. "You gonna invite me in or what?" he added with a slight smirk after a brief period of silence, and Shikamaru coughed uncomfortably and nodded once he managed to think straight.

"Right. Yeah," he blinked and stepped aside to allow his friend inside. He shut the door behind him and drowned slightly as Naruto slid his hands into the pockets of his jumpsuit as he sidled around the room. He wasn't sure why he had dropped by unannounced; it wasn't necessarily _unlike_ him, but it was an odd time of the day. He jumped slightly as Naruto abruptly whirled on him.

"So, Shikamaru, what the hell is your problem?" he accused. His whiskered face had taken on that serious look that indicated he meant business, and all traces of his normally bubbly and dopey demeanor had vanished. Shikamaru pursed his lips, his irritating hangover souring his already gloomy mood. He snorted and shouldered past Naruto, walking in the kitchen to grab a glass of water and some painkillers.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered as he swallowed the pills and prayed they would take effect within the next few minutes. Holding conversation with the esteemed ninja just made his head pound even more, and he rubbed his head with a slight groan before glancing back over his shoulder. Naruto was just staring at him, totally intent on prying the truth out of him; his blue eyes shifted to the coffee table, where another empty bottle of liquor rested on its smooth surface.

"Really?" the blonde-haired man snorted and picked up the bottle by the neck to inspect it. "It's quite unusual for you to drink so much. Especially the night before you're supposed to wake up and go to work." _Shit,_ Shikamaru thought in annoyance and stalked out of the kitchen to snatch the bottle out of his hands and toss it into the garbage.

"What makes you think I drank it all in one go?" he snapped and shoved past him, keeping his back to him as he rubbed his forehead, hardly able to stand the raging pain in his head. "I'm fine, okay? I don't need you to babysit me! I'm a grown man!"

"Then why you are you acting like a child?" Naruto retorted hotly. Scowling, Shikamaru whirled around with a retort already on his tongue, but abruptly he was met with Naruto's fist. The man punched him savagely, not holding back, with enough force to throw him back into his armchair. His brutal headache was forgotten as his jaw bruised, and he glared up at him as he rubbed his face where the Hokage had punched him. "Cut the crap!" the Hokage snapped, crossing his arm with a huff as he stood over him. "You think I haven't noticed? God, Shikamaru, I may dumb, but I'm not a complete idiot!" he shouted. "You show up to work late, hungover half the time. You've buried yourself in your work to the point that Ino and Choji have had to pick up the slack with your son. You've got that same gloomy, depressed attitude that you had after Temari died. So don't give me that bullshit. Tell me the truth. _What happened with you and Ayumi?"_

At his friend's violent insistence, Shikamaru shrunk back into the chair, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he quietly took the verbal beating. After he yelled at him, Naruto sighed and punched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Shikamaru, please. I can't stand to see you like this, and neither can Ino or Choji. I can't even imagine what Shikadai is feeling! Stop trying to put everything on yourself, because all you're doing is making everybody else suffer," he explained more calmly, lowering his hand to stare down at him apologetically. Humbled, Shikamaru pursed his lips as he traced the stitching of the furniture.

"Do you remember the recon mission a few weeks back?" he asked quietly. At this peculiar answer, Naruto raised his eyebrows in mild shock.

"The one where that crazy bastard abducted you and you were gone for three days? Yeah, I remember. Are you telling me that report was a little less that truthful?" he asked suspiciously, and Shikamaru nodded mutely. Naruto sighed again and crouched down so that they were eye-to-eye. "What the hell _happened_ out there, Shikamaru?" he asked sadly. As the memory resurfaced, Shikamaru's fingers twitched as the combination of anger and fear and despair surged inside him once more. He bit down on his lip, not able to keep the tears from stinging the corners of his eyes, and he rubbed his sweaty palms against the fabric of his pants.

"He threatened her," he answered simply, but his voice was hoarse as he tried to fight back the writhing emotions inside of him.

"Ayumi? How the hell did he know about her?" Naruto cried indignantly. Shikamaru shook his head, then leaned forward as his breath began to come in ragged gasps. It was all rushing back, the emotions he had tried so desperately to silence- the terror, the heartbreak, the rage.

" _I don't know,"_ he growled as he cradled his head in his hands, continuously shaking his head back and forth. "He's goddamn determined to see me suffer. I told you everything, how much he hates me, but it's so much worse. He said I had to leave her, or he would kill her, just to make sure I didn't have her. He would kill her just like he did Temari, and I can't, Naruto, _I can't live through that again!"_ Disregarding his stubborn pride, he had broken down, and the tears were flowing freely down his face and splashing down onto his pants. He watched the fabric turn dark as his teardrops landed, and he could barely breathe; it felt like someone was smothering the life out of him as he struggled to keep from falling apart completely.

It hit him all at once, how much he missed her, how much he wanted her. He had managed this far to ignore it, to shove it aside, but faced with the cruel reality of the situation he found he could do so no longer. Curling up, he didn't even care that his best friend was watching him cry like a little girl. "I can't lose her, Naruto," he sobbed miserably.

"Dude, why didn't you tell me?" Naruto sighed and shuffled forward to put a hand on his broken friend's shoulder. "You really are a stubborn asshole," he muttered, but when Shikamaru looked up, a small smile was on his lips. He was grateful, at least, that Naruto didn't think less of him for dissolving into such a pathetic state. Shikamaru sniffled and straightened up, trying to quiet his sobs. He managed to contain them to the occasional sniff, and he ran his hands over his face with a loud groan. "Yeah, you're a mess, all right," the Hokage concludes eloquently. He raised his eyebrows at him with a frown. "What're you gonna do? You can't go on like this."

"I have no choice _but_ to go on like this," he refuted bitterly. No matter how much he longed to run right to Ayumi and take the beautiful, kind, loving teacher into his arms, he didn't dare. It was a death sentence for her. "No matter how I feel about it, it has to be done."

"Why didn't you tell her?" Naruto asked, and at that question, Shikamaru smiled wistfully.

"She's too stubborn for her own good, you know? She would insist on staying with me, no matter the danger… Keeping her in the dark is the only way to keep her safe," he explained as he sighed and flopped back in the chair. It was cruel, and Shikamaru knew it, but he was caught between a rock and a hard place. Tell her, keep her, and she would die for sure; Shikamaru was not stupid enough to think he could protect her. He couldn't protect his own wife, for God's sake. No, staying as far away from her as possible was the only way, even if he broke her heart in the process. He would rather live in agony knowing that she was safe than selfishly ignore the danger for a few fleeting moments more.

At least this way, she could move on, find someone else, get married, have children, and forget about him. At least this way, she had a chance to be happy. That was enough for him.

Naruto seemed to understand his reasoning, and sighed deeply before rising to his feet.

"I don't agree with the way you went about this, but we are short of options," he consented. "The Anbu are all scouring the Land of Fire for this jerk, and even the neighboring nations are starting to join in… We haven't had this big a problem since the Akatsuki," he muttered bitterly and ran a hand through his yellow hair as he pondered the dismal situation. "Until this guy is caught, you, Shikadai, and Ayumi are all under threat. We know he wants you alive, at least for now, but the other two… I'll post some Anbu to watch over them. Two each."

"Three on Ayumi," he insisted instantly. "One on Shikadai. I can protect my son." In truth, he had been neglecting him of late, as he had after the death of his wife, but after the conversation with his concerned friend he was determined not to let the mending relationship with his son deteriorate. When Naruto looked at him doubtfully, he smiled weakly. "Promise. I've been a bit of an idiot lately, but I'm good now. Just a little bit upset," he chuckled softly. Naruto's frown morphed into a small smirk, and he leaned down to clap his friend on the shoulder.

"All right. Three Anbu on Ayumi," he agreed with a nod. Now that he was confident his friend could get by, he glanced out of the window. "I should get back. You had better take care of yourself, Shikamaru, or I'll be here to _really_ give you a swift kick in the ass," he laughed, but despite the joking, he could tell that his friend was really worried about him.

 _Everyone has probably been worried,_ he thought with a sigh as he walked Naruto out of the front of the house, and as he closed the door, he leaned his forehead against the smooth wood. _Damn… What a drag. The world's moodiest knucklehead had to bring_ _ **me**_ _out of a depression._ Still, the unexpected visit had been what he needed. So he was not tempted, he poured all the alcohol in the house down the sink drain, then settled himself in his office to work until his son got home from school. The stressful encounter with Ayumi had nearly killed him, so he had recruited Ino to swing his son by on her way home with inojin, an arrangement he was not yet ready to abandon. Determined, he busied himself with the reports he was checking over.

Shikamaru jumped slightly when light knocking pulled him out of his heavy concentration, and he glanced at the time. He has worked right up until the moment that his son was scheduled to be dropped off by his friend. Groaning as he stood up and stretched, working out his kinked muscles as he walked down the hallway towards the door. He pulled it open, expecting the cheerful blonde and his young son, but he stumbled back when it was a despondent brunette instead.

"Ayumi," he gasped, choking out the words, reeling from shock at the sudden appearance of the woman he had been grieving over. She had fresh tear tracks on her face, and her eyes were red and puffy from where she had been crying. It seemed all he did was make her cry, and his heart wrenched with guilt. He then realized the gravity of his situation and his eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you," she murmured, and the pleading in her voice, the _begging_ , made his grip on the door tighten as he hated himself more. He had reduced her to _this._ Where was his Ayumi, with a smile like sunlight, her shining hair that smelled of daffodils, her radiating optimism? He couldn't find it as he stared at her. His heart jumped in his chest as she stepped forward into the threshold of the door, fresh tears appearing in her eyes. _No. Don't look at me like that,_ he begged her silently, but he had not the strength to pull away. "Shikamaru, please. Please, I _love_ you. I can't stand being apart from you anymore," she pleaded.

Shikamaru couldn't stand it anymore, either. He couldn't make her cry anymore, he couldn't break her heart anymore, he couldn't deny the miserable woman standing before him, just begging for his heart. Stepping forward to close the distance between them, he cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. Ayumi tilted her face in response, leaning into the kiss, and he hungrily enveloped her lips in his own. She tasted sweeter than ever, like sugar, like honey, and he could not get enough. He has missed her _so_ much, and now that she was there in his arms he never, ever wanted to let her go.

"I'm sorry," he whispered over and over between kisses. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He couldn't apologize enough, it seemed. When he finally pulled back and looked at her, he recoiled, falling back in horror with his heart hammering in his throat.

"You should be," she whispered to him, blood leaking from her mouth, seeping from all over her body. She was nothing but red, and when he looked down at himself _he_ was covered in it too, and as she collapsed he _screamed-_

And then he jerked awake, throwing the papers off his desk as he fell out of the chair and onto the floor. His heart was pounding so hard that he could feel it in every vein in his body, and hear it in his ears. He had broken out in a cold sweat, and he was shivering with horror as the grisly nightmare remained fresh in his mind. He kept running his hands over himself, expecting to find the thick, red substance. When he finally calmed down, he punched the desk angrily and kicked the chair away, pulling at his hair in frustration. "Damn it!" he shouted, breathing hard as he struggled to recover from the dream. He flopped back on the floor and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. _Damn it._

 _Ayumi…_

 _ **Author's Note:** Hello, everyone! I hope you guys are enjoying it thus far! I have a favor to ask all of you. After the conclusion of this story- which, is coming up faster than we know it!- I plan to start a new series project. The kicker is that this series will largely consist of crack ships! Gasp! So, I want to know- what are your favorite crack ships between the Konoha 12 and the Sand Ninja 3? Let me know in the reviews, and who knows- your crack ship may become reality!_

 _Thank you all so much for the continued love and support! See you next chapter! 3_


	31. Chapter 30: The Trials of Love

Ayumi leaned back on her knees and wiped the sweat from her forehead, leaving a long smear of dirt across her skin from her gardening glove, and then smiled slightly as she admired her handiwork. To cheer herself up, she had decided to put in a new flowerbed in one of the few areas that was not yet claimed by the colorful plants. She had gone to the market and purchased some wood and constructed a nice wooden box, and had just finished filling it with soil. As she turned to the fresh flowers she had purchased to prepare loading them into the newly constructed flowerbed, she was surprised to see a pair of individuals walking up the street toward her gate. She hastily jumped to her feet, brushing her gloves off on her apron, and smiled brightly.

"Sakura!" she cried when she recognized the bubble gum pink hair, and her smile widened when she realized that the medical ninja was toting along her daughter, Sarada.

"Hello, Ayumi!" Sakura beamed as she pulled up the latch on the gate and led her daughter onto the small cobblestone path into the garden.

"Hi, Miss Ayumi!" Sarada chimed and waved giddily, using a chubby hand to push her glasses up her face as they threatened to slip off.

"What brings you two here today?" Ayumi asked cheerfully as the pair stopped in front of her, and Sakura smiled as she glanced down at her young daughter.

"You see, Sarada heard from Inojin how much fun it is to garden with you, and she has been _bugging_ me to bring her out here so she could see what it was all about!" she mused, and the positively giddy smile on Sarada's face confirmed the story. Any trace of Ayumi's somber mood vanished as she looked down at the elated child, and she nodded eagerly.

"Oh! I see! Lucky for you, I'm putting in a new flowerbed. Would you like to help, Sarada?" she offered, and the little girl's eyes lit up in delight and wonder, and she nodded excitedly and let her mother's hands go to totter over to the teacher. She latched onto her apron, tugging on it happily.

"Let's go! Let's go!" she cried impatiently, making Ayumi chuckle and obediently turn the child about to push her toward the house. Ayumi flipped her chestnut hair over her shoulder and glanced at Sakura, who was watching with a warm smile on her face.

"Are you busy, Sakura? I have other things to do besides the flowerbed, and I can use all the help I can get!" she asked, and the medical ninja cocked an eyebrow as she pondered the notion. Sarada squealed happily when her mother smiled and nodded in agreement, and Ayumi ushered both of them into her home and over to the closet where she stored her gardening supplies. Sarada jumped up and down with happiness as Ayumi kneeled down to tie a floral-print apron around the little girl. Since she had children running around her house of late, the teacher had elected to purchase a selection of child-sized gardening aprons for opportunities like this one, and as Sarada paraded around the entryway showing it off, she was happy that she had the foresight to do so. Once she had gotten the medical ninja outfitted, they helped her carry the rest of the gardening supplies that they would need for the rest of the day into the garden. Ayumi kneeled down next to the constructed flowerbed and patted the grass beside her. Sarada obediently plopped down beside her, mouth-breathing with excitement.

"Are we gonna plant flowers now?" she asked, and when Ayumi nodded in affirmation, she threw up her hands in glee. Ayumi grabbed the first set of flowers, some carnations, and placed them in her lap while she instructed Sarada to dig a hole in the soil. The child happily obliged, and once the task was accomplished she helped Ayumi plant the flowers and cover the sensitive roots with the enriched dirt. They did the same with the remaining flowers, and then watered the colorful growths with the watering can.

After that chore was finished, Ayumi recruited the girls to assist in weeding her garden. As they migrated to the front of her yard, where a large concentration of her flowerbeds were, Sarada tottered over to the weed patch by the front door and squatted down to inspect it.

"What is this, Miss Ayumi? It's nothing but weeds!" Sarada cried and poked one of the stubborn growths, frowning as it flopped about. Ayumi smiled weakly as she turned her gaze on the weed patch.

"Oh, yes. Shikadai put that there. He was just so upset at the idea of killing the weeds that he made a little home for them right there," she remarked with a wistful sigh. She enjoyed Sarada's company; she loved all her children, but there was no denying that Shikadai held a very special place in her heart. She wished so dearly that he was there now, running around in that apron that was too big for him with his arms full of weeds to deliver to safety to the little weed patch. As she stared forlornly at the small plot that Sarada was investigating, she was astonished to feel something wet roll down her cheeks. She lifted a hand to her face and realized that she had begun to cry. Hastily, she used the fabric of her dress to wipe her face, but it had not gone unnoticed by Sakura.

"Sarada, why don't you get started weeding the flowerbeds?" the medical ninja suggested to her young daughter, and the girl immediately hopped up and ran over to the flower beds giddily. The woman turned her sharp green eyes on the despondent teacher, crossing her arms with a small sigh. "How are you holding up?" she asked her with a sympathetic smile. Ayumi pursed her lips slightly and frowned down at the little weed-bed.

"It comes and goes," she sighed with a glance up at the intelligent woman. "Most of the time nowadays I don't even think about it… But every once in a while, someone says something or does something, or I see something, and my mind just flies right to it. How much I miss both of them…" she murmured as she cast her chestnut eyes to her feet miserably. Sakura reached out to reassuringly rub her back.

"I know it's hard," she murmured soothingly. "I'm not sure what will happen from here on out, but I'm sure that everything will work out, however that will be," she told her with a small smile, and as Ayumi looked up at her, she was grateful that her friend had come to visit. She felt better at the sound advice. _Yes. I just have to be patient, and everything will work out the way it needs to. However that happens to be…_

The pair of women turned as Sarada ran across the yard, her cheeks flushed with breathlessness and her arms full of weeds. She plodded over to the weed patch and kneeled down, digging into the small dirt patch to plant the skinny growths alongside their brethren. "What are you doing, Sarada?" her mother inquired curiously.

"I'm gonna plant the weeds in the weed garden so that when Shikadai comes back he'll see them and be happy!" the girl answered innocently, continuing to go about her business. Ayumi's heart lurched. _Yes. He'll be very happy,_ she thought with a small sigh and glanced over at her wilting patch of daffodils. Since the night she had run to Ino's in a panic, their condition had neither worsened nor improved. Ayumi was unsure what to think of the strange occurrence and how it perfectly mimicked her tumultuous relationship. _All I have to do is be patient, and everything will work out as it needs to,_ she reminded herself determinedly.

By the time the girls were finished working in the garden, they were covered head-to-toe in soil and grass and sweat, and positively parched, so Ayumi invited the pair into her quaint home and fixed them a glass of lemonade and they all sat in the living room to chat. It wasn't long before Sarada, exhausted from the sun and the work, curled up on the couch and fell asleep, her head resting in her mother's lap. Sakura smiled warmly as she stroked her daughter's dark hair, watching as she snoozed peacefully, mouth hanging open as her fingers curled into her mother's skirt.

"Are you going to be all right, Ayumi?" Sakura asked suddenly, catching the teacher by surprise. Sakura's green eyes, sharper than a kunai knife, were boring into her, searching for any sign of doubt- which Ayumi certainly had plenty of. Ayumi sunk into the couch, her hands curled tightly around the glass of lemonade as she considered the question. She was _trying_ to get over Shikamaru, she really was, but sometimes it was just so _hard._ At night, she would dream of him, of the night at the festival or their riveting adventure in the Sand, and they always ended with him walking away from her one the street, and she would wake up screaming and crying in anguish. The pain throbbing in her heart was always there, and though sometimes she forgot about it out of nowhere it would hit her with such a force that it took her breath away. Even now, she could not look at Shikadai without seeing his father, his devilishly handsome, compassionate father whom she loved with every fiber of her being. As Sakura stated intently at her, she exhaled shakily and shook her head.

"I don't know," she whispered honestly, gripping the glass so tightly that it could crack under the pressure. "I don't know, Sakura. I want to be all right, but… I love him so much that I can't _stand_ it. I'll always love him, and I don't think I'll ever love anyone else as deeply and wholly as I love him… And Shikadai. I'm not his true mother but that boy is my _child,"_ she explained with a sniffle as tears threatened to spill from her eyes again. _I hate how much I cry,_ she thought resentfully, but it never failed- anytime the man or his son came up in conversation, the waterworks started. Sakura listened to her, never taking that intense gaze off her for a moment, until Ayumi just sat there with her bottom lip quivering.

"I understand," Sakura sighed as she looked down at the sleeping Sarada. She gently brushed a strand of her black hair from her face. "That's how I felt about Sasuke for as long as I could remember. Nothing he could ever do could change that fact… I loved him so much. Our relationship _definitely_ had our fair share of problems," she laughed and looked up to smile softly at her. "I don't doubt for one moment that Shikamaru wants to be with you, Ayumi. I don't know what's going on in that big brain of his, but I don't doubt for a second that you two belong together. It'll work out. I've never met two people more meant for each other," she told her reassuringly, and Ayumi's heart fluttered with hope. Hearing it out so clearly by someone else truly meant a lot, and the woman was so overcome with emotion that all she could do was nod weakly, choked up.

"Thank you," she managed to get out, and the woman nodded before scooping Sarada into her arms and standing.

"I had better be getting home. If you need anything, Ayumi, you know where to find me. Take care of yourself," she told her, and Ayumi hurriedly rose to accompany the woman to the door. Sarada blinked awake long enough to give Ayumi a very sleepy farewell before she curled up against her mother and drifted off again. As the young teacher leaned in the doorway, watching the medical ninja walk down the street with her daughter in her arms, she wonder if she could ever be as strong and capable as Sakura was. Then, with nothing left to do, she turned and re-entered her empty house.

The next morning, Ayumi went about her business as usual for the weekend, but was unusually restless. Her garden nor her vast collection of books gave her no joy, and so she took to the streets of Konoha. Autumn was in full swing now, and though most of the trees in Konoha did not shed their leaves, a few had the signature yellow-gold-red collection of leaves that marked the fall season. A few had already been torn from the trees and were floating across the paths, crunching when Ayumi stepped on them as she walked along the dirt streets. The air was pleasantly cool, with a soft breeze that ruffled her dress and her hair. Ayumi wasn't sure quite where she wanted to go, and as she wandered about aimlessly she was surprised to find that her feet carried her to the entrance of the village. She stared out at the dirt road, recalling that just a few weeks before she and Shikamaru had stood there, so in love.

"Are you going for a walk?" shouted the gatekeeper as Ayumi moved to step forward, and as she looked at him in mild surprise he had a concerned expression on his face. "The road is dangerous, especially for a woman alone. There have been plenty of kidnappings in the villages not far from here," he warned. Ayumi glanced back out at the road, but it was _calling_ her; she wanted to walk beneath the trees, to hear the sound of birdsong and the wind whistling in the canopy overhead.

"I'll be all right. I'll stay within sight of the wall," she called back with a confident smile. He narrowed his eyes at her, but did not prevent her from continuing on her way out of the village and onto the simple road leading into the wilderness. True to her word, she only wandered a short ways, where the walls of the village were still in plain sight. With a quiet sigh, she stepped off the road and settled down among the roots of a large tree and turned her gaze upward to the blue sky above. As she watched the clouds trail lazily by, she thought about how nice it must be to _be_ a cloud, just sailing slowly along without the drama of love and life. Still restless, she groaned and move to get up, and then screamed as a kunai knife landed with a _thunk_ at her feet. She collapsed back against the thick trunk of the tree as a group of five men appeared in front of her, all of them wearing matching evil grins.

"Hey, pretty lady. What're you doing wandering out here all by yourself?" one of them asked with a sneer. Ayumi gasped as two more appeared on either side of her and seized her wrists, pulling her arms behind her back and immobilizing her. Before she could scream for help, one of the men holding her clamped a hand over her mouth. "There ain't no use shouting for help, honey. We've already killed the Anbu guards who were guarding you."

 _What? Anbu guards?_ She blinked in confusion. She was but a humble teacher, and had no reason to be guarded by the Anbu for any reason. As her mind whirled, the man continued to talk. "They went through a lot of trouble to protect you, but in the end it was kind of pathetic how little of a fight they put up. Our boss had no trouble disposing of those guards," he bragged. "Then all we had to do was wait for a good time to snatch you, and I'll be damned you wander right out of the village! How stupid can you be?" he mocked. "That poor sod Shikamaru is none the wiser, either! Man, the boss had him going thinking you'd be safe!" he howled with laughter. Ayumi was amazed that the man would reveal so much information, and the only logical conclusion she could draw was that these men intended to kill her, and she wouldn't have the opportunity to talk anyway. She squeaked in fright as the man stomped forward to snatch up the kunai, but rather than turning it on the teacher, he just pointed it at her threateningly. "Scream, and you die. I don't want to kill you. The boss wants you delivered alive, and it's my ass on the line if you die," he warned her. Ayumi obediently remained silent as the ninja holding her removed his hand from her mouth. She grunted as they roughly tied her hands behind her back and jerked her to her feet, and she looked around fearfully, unsure of how she was going to get out of the situation.

After all, she didn't have Shikamaru to protect her anymore.

Unable to escape, Ayumi just hung her head as they shoved her forward. She trudged along after them, looking over her shoulder to cast one last longing glance over her shoulder at the walls of the village.

 _What will happen to me now?_

 _Shikamaru…_

 _If by some divine grace you can hear me… I need you…_


	32. Chapter 31: The Rescue Mission

Shikadai glanced around as he plodded along beside his father, holding his hand as he was escorted toward the schoolhouse before he went to work that day. The young boy was not sure what had occurred, but several days prior his father's mood had steadily started improving; he was taking him to and from school again, although he still refused to walk into the building and interact with the boy's teacher. Still, it was progress, and Shikadai was just grateful that he had his father back. As the building came into view, Shikamaru paused at the gate and crouched down to affectionately ruffle his son's hair.

"I'm going to be busy today, so Ino will take you home, all right?" he told him as he smiled softly. Shikadai nodded in understanding before he stepped forward and hugged his father around the neck tightly. Shikamaru smirked and rubbed his back, holding the hug before pulling back and straightening up.

"I'll see you later, Daddy! Have a good day at work!" he chirped happily before turning on his heel and running across the grassy yard into the schoolhouse, hopping up the steps to take his place among his classmates. Though Ayumi was still struggling to interact with him without growing dismally sad, the woman was making progress as well. Shikadai was very hopeful that things would return to normal soon; after all, it could not be long before the two adults reconciled. _Then I'll be able to garden with Miss Ayumi again!_ He thought gleefully as he pulled out his schoolbook and reading one of the passages to entertain himself while he waited for class to start. He perked up when he heard the sliding door open, but the smile instantly vanished from his face when it was not the beautiful brunette who walked into the classroom.

"Shino-sensei? What are you doing here?" Boruto exclaimed in shock, serving as the voice for the entire class of confused children. The man slid his hands in his coat pockets as he stood by the desk, his eyes hidden by the strange eyewear.

"Obviously I am serving as your substitute today," he remarked casually, and a ripple of unease traveled through the students. Ayumi _never_ hired a substitute without telling them at least a day prior; it was quite uncharacteristic of her. Shikadai could not help but think that something was _horribly_ wrong, and he jumped up from his seat, his blue eyes wide.

"Where is Miss Ayumi? Is she okay?" he cried, and his classmates voiced similar concerns.

"She is quite all right. She just fell ill and cannot attend class today. Please, sit down," Shini sighed wearily, but the calm, collected man couldn't fool the observant young boy. He could see the shadow hiding in his expression. _He's lying. But why?_ Unfortunately, Shikadai had no choice but to sink down into his seat, pouting as he crossed his arms and slumped back into the chair. Shino began the lesson without much fanfare, but Shikadai's mind was far, far away.

 _Something has happened to Miss Ayumi, for sure, and Shino-sensei is trying to cover it up! It must be bad if he won't tell us… Well, I'm gonna get to the bottom of it!_ He decided firmly, and as he sat in silence barely listening to the lesson, he hatched his plan.

After class was dismissed, he joined his best friends Inojin and Chocho in the schoolyard while they waited for their parents to arrive to pick them up. He pulled them over to the large tree with the swing so that his plan would not be overheard by unwanted ears, and then whispered feverishly as they discussed their options. By the time the cheerful blonde who owned the flower shop ventured on the scene, Shikadai was quite confident that he and his cohorts would be able to pull off his scheme. However, everything hinged on how Inojin's mother would act when she learned of Ayumi's strange disappearance.

"Hi, Mommy!" Inojin beamed as he ran up to his mother and hugged her legs happily, his clear blue eyes shining. Shikadai and Chocho scampered over as the woman pulled her son into her arms, and, as planned, Inojin whispered something feverishly into her ear. Ino's mouth immediately curled into a deep, deep frown, but she attempted to wipe it from her face as she smiled brightly at the three children.

"I see. So Miss Ayumi is ill, and you three want to bring her flowers? I think that's a fantastic idea," she nodded as she set Inojin back onto the ground. "I'm going to talk to Shino-sensei real quick, all right? You three wait here," she commanded before she vanished into the schoolhouse, her long blonde hair swishing as she feverishly scurried into the building. _Awesome! The plan is in motion!_ Shikadai grinned as he ran up to the wall of the school building. He glanced up, staring at the small window about two yards above his head. It was open, as he had left it when he had slyly done so while the rest of the students had been vacating the building, and not enough time had passed for Shino to notice. As planned, his pair of friends gave him a boost, launching him up to the window. He grabbed the sill and wriggled inside, dropping down into the rows of desks without a sound. He crawled as close as he could, peering over the edge of one of the desks as he listened intently to the conversation that the two adults were having by Ayumi's desk. "Missing? Are you sure, Shino?" Ino gasped.

"I'm afraid so. Her Anbu guards turned up dead near her house in a field," he reported grimly. _Anbu guards? Why would Ayumi need to be guarded by the Anbu?_ He thought with narrowed eyes. "Apparently she went through the gate yesterday for a walk, and never came back. The gatekeepers on duty went looking for her and all they found was her purse. The Anbu are strained as it is and can't afford to send out another search team, so Naruto is working on putting together a squad to go after her. As of right now, nothing has been done." A chill went up Shikadai's spine as he listened to the dreadful report. _Miss Ayumi has been kidnapped! I knew something was wrong!_ He thought in horror.

"Does Shikamaru know?" Ino asked softly.

"No. Naruto doesn't want to tell him… He's afraid of how he'll react. He's waiting until he has the squad ready. I think he intends to tell him then so that he doesn't go off by himself and get himself killed," Shino sighed. Ino shook her head, murmuring something that Shikadai could hear, but the boy had heard enough. He squirmed back out of the window and dropped back down to the ground, landing unsteadily on his feet.

"Well? What did you learn?" Chocho asked, sitting in the grass munching on a bag of chips.

"Miss Ayumi isn't sick! She's been _kidnapped!"_ he whispered feverishly, and Chocho's mouth fell open in shock and she actually dropped her chip. "They haven't even sent a team after her! We have to do something! Come on, guys!" he cried and promptly took off, leaving his two friends scrambling after him. He ran to the outskirts of the city, where his beloved teacher resided, and stood on his tip-toes to unlatch the gate. He paused on the stone walkway, overcome with emotion as he stood in the beautiful garden the lovely woman tended so dutifully. His eyes landed on his little weed-patch. It was much larger than he remembered, meaning that Ayumi had been added to it in his absence. His bottom lip quivered and he felt the familiar sting of tears in his eyes as he gazed at them sadly.

"Shikadai? Are you okay?" Chocho asked quietly, and he shook his head with a miserable sniffle.

"I just don't get it. Why would anyone want to hurt Miss Ayumi? She's so kind. She would never hurt anybody," he whimpered as he angrily rubbed at his eyes. Misery soon morphed into fury. _How could anyone do that? They won't get away with it!_ Once he managed to calm himself down, he stomped right up to the front door and jiggled the doorknob. As expected, it was locked, and so he stepped back and crossed his arms, attempting to think of every place the woman would hide a spare key. After checking underneath the welcome mat, the nearby windowsill, and the gutter drainage pipe, he secured it after digging around in an empty flowerpot beside the steps. He unlocked the door and tottered inside, grabbing one of Ayumi's shoes that were resting by the front door. He closed the door and locked it back, not wishing the woman's house to be burglarized, and set of to initiate the next part of his plan.

He ventured back into the heart of the village until he reached a house he knew vaguely. It was the home of Kiba Inuzuka. His father visited him infrequently and brought Shikadai along to play with his old dog, Akamaru- and it was the old ninja hound that the young boy sought. He crept around to the backyard where he knew the dog would be snoozing. Sure enough, he was stretched out in a patch of sun, snoring deeply. Shikadai scampered over and scratched his head, making the dog yawn loudly and blink up at him sleepily. "Hey, old guy. I got a job for you," the boy grinned and held out the shoe. "You think you can track this scent for me? Pretty pleased?" he implored the hound. Akamaru stared at it suspiciously before grunting and rising to his feet, sniffing experimentally at the shoe. He wagged his tail after a second and turned around, trotting slowly out of the yard and out into the road.

"Good job, Akamaru!" Inojin beamed and rubbed the dog's side as he passed by, and the three children followed the aged hound down the road. It was slow going, as the dog could only go so fast, and Shikadai wondered if he would even make it to the gate. He shook a lot and would occasionally wheezed, but thankfully he led the children to the front gate that the woman supposedly exited from the day before. They watched the gatekeepers for a while, eyes narrowed, until their attention lapsed and they could sprint out of the gate without them noticing. Akamaru trotted behind, nose to the ground as he followed the missing teacher's scent.

Shikadai's plan had succeeded, and now all they had to do was rescue the teacher. He procured some kunai knives and shuriken that he had swiped from the practice field and passed them out to his friends. It was then that they seemed a little unsure.

"Shikadai… Are you sure about this? I mean, shouldn't we leave this for the grown-ups to take care of? These guys could be really dangerous," Inojin frowned with narrowed eyes.

"Are you kidding? They haven't even gone after her yet! It's up to us!" Shikadai insisted. It angered him so much that the adult ninja would let this transgression go unpunished. If _he_ had been Hokage, he would have every ninja in the village trawling the woods for her. He gripped his kunai knife tightly, his jaw set in determination. "Miss Ayumi has been so good to us. We can't just leave her." Inojin and Chocho looked at one another, then nodded firmly.

"Okay! Let's do it!" Chocho agreed.

"Not so fast!" barked a sudden voice, and the three children gasped and whipped around. _An Anbu?_ Shikadai blinked in shock when he saw the masked man standing before them with his hands on his hips. "What are you kids doing out here? It's dangerous. Go back into the village," he demanded and pointed at the gate. "This is no place to be playing ninja!"

"We aren't playing ninja, you jerk! We're going after Miss Ayumi!" Shikadai huffed and brandished his kunai knife. " _Get him!"_ he cried, and the Anbu cried out in alarm as Chocho suddenly sprang at him, squealing with glee. Shikadai knew that the ninja could not hurt him, and that would severely limit his fighting capabilities. Their only chance was in these few seconds of surprise. He immediately formed a hand sign, gathering his chakra. His shadow distorted, then stretched and shot toward the man who was attempting to pry Chocho off his face. _Shadow Possession jutsu, complete!_ He thought with a grin as his shadow merged with that of the Anbu, and the man immediately froze. "Go, Inojin! I can't hold it for long!" he cried.

"Got it! Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Inojin shouted as he made the signature hand sign. As his soul shot out of his body, he crumpled to the ground, but Akamaru grabbed him by the back of his shirt and held him up. He was wagging his tail, seemingly amused that the three children were fending off an Anbu.

"Okay! I've got him under control!" The Anbu cried, but it was really Inojin in the man's body. Chocho hopped down, and together the three children tied him securely to a tree. When Inojin had safely returned to his own body, they struck him over the head to knock the ninja unconscious for good measure. As the Anbu's head lolled, the three rejoiced at their victory before running over to Akamaru.

"Okay, boy! Lead the way! Miss Ayumi's life is in your hands- er, paws," Shikadai told him and scratched him under the chin affectionately. The dog enjoyed the attention for a minute before sniffing around the road, attempting to pick up the woman's scent; then, he barked, trotting off the road into the woods. The three children charged after him, vanishing into the greenery and leaving the village behind.

A few hours later, Shikamaru was standing outside the Hokage's office, utterly confused. He had no idea why Naruto had called him right when he was about to head to Ino's to retrieve his son, and he hoped it was nothing more than the blonde boy checking up on him. Really, Shikamaru was beginning to get on with things; his conversation with the Hokage, nightmare aside, had been what he needed to get back on track. When the door opened and he walked inside, he was even more befuddled.

"Um… What's going on?" he asked as he raised his eyebrows. In addition to himself and the Hokage, Sakura, Ino, Sai, Choji, Karui, and Kiba were all crammed into the small office. They were all staring uncomfortably at him with expressions that looked like pity, and he didn't like that at all. "Naruto…?"

"Shikamaru… I have bad news," the man sighed, and Shikamaru felt the cold hand of panic close around his heart, making his blood feel like ice. He bit down on his lip, his hands beginning to shake. _No. No. Don't tell me what you're about to tell me. Please, God, don't let it be._ "Ayumi has been kidnapped," he told him bluntly, and Shikamaru felt like he got punched in the stomach. He stumbled back, pressing against the door, his breathing growing ragged as he struggled to keep calm. "Her Anbu guards were murdered. She walked out of the village and didn't come back. We're almost certain it's the trafficking group. Several other woman have vanished from the surrounding towns."

"Why?" he whispered, looking down at his trembling hands as tears blurred his vision. "I don't understand. I did what he asked, I _stayed away,_ he _swore_ that he would leave her alone if I just _did what he asked!"_ he gasped, falling into the throes of panic and despair. "Are you sure? Are you _absolutely_ sure?" he insisted, looking up at them wildly.

"I did the autopsies myself. There was no mistaking that poison," Sakura told him gently, and Shikamaru turned to the side, biting down on his hand to keep from screaming. _No. No. This isn't how it was supposed to happen. I did it. I stayed away, I broke her heart, she was supposed to be_ _ **safe,**_ he thought as he repeatedly shook his head, unable to process what he was hearing.

"It gets worse," Naruto murmured, and he looked at him fearfully. _How? How can it get worse?_ He thought. He couldn't think straight, he couldn't realize what was so glaringly obvious. "Shikadai must have caught wind of what happened. It seems, with Inojin and Chocho, he took Akamaru and left the village to track Ayumi down. He even gave his Anbu guard the slip." Shikamaru stared at him, nearly delirious with raging emotions, and his legs actually gave out from underneath him and he slid down to the floor, panting.

"No. No, no, no, Naruto, please, tell me you're lying. Tell me you're lying," he begged him, sobs making his voice break, but the blonde-haired man just shook his head with the saddest expression he's ever seen.

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru. It's true," Kiba sighed as he crossed his arms with a slight scowl. "Those brats can't go fast, but neither can Ayumi and her captors. If we don't act fast, they could-"

"Don't say it!" Ino cried and covered her face, turning into her husband's shoulder as she broke down in tears. Sai frowned deeply and gently rubbed his wife's back. Shikamaru was too busy reeling to offer any encouragement.

 _My son. My son. All I have left. No. No, I can't, I can't lose him too. Not this way, not to_ _ **him!**_ He thought as he shakily dragged himself to his feet. Abruptly, his fear turned into anger, and his expression contorted into rage. His head cleared as he shoved away every other emotion, concentrating on that wild fury. _No. I won't run away any more. Not this time._ He was pissed off at his son for acting so reckless, he was pissed off at Ayumi for getting herself caught, he was pissed off at the human traffickers and their leader for making his life hell, and most importantly, he was pissed off at himself for letting it get this far. _You're a coward, Shikamaru. A God damn coward. Damn it, get your ass in gear._

"So," he growled calmly, and the rest of the room looked at him. "When do we leave?"

"Shikamaru, are you sure about this? This may not end well," Naruto warned.

"I'm positive. Either I'm getting my son and Ayumi back, or I'm gonna wrap my hands around that bastard's neck and throttle the life out of him once and for all," he hissed. "I am _done_ hiding. He's crossed the line, and I'm gonna make sure he knows it."

"That's what I wanna hear!" Kiba grinned devilishly and cracked his knuckles. "Sai, Choji, you ready to roll?" he asked the two men.

"Will you be all right here?" Sai asked Ino gently, and she wiped her eyes and nodded up at him firmly.

"Let's go! Nobody is gonna lay a hand on my little girl!" Choji roared, fire practically blazing in his eyes.

"Cha! Don't you bozos forget about me!" Sakura snorted. "You clowns will get yourself killed!"

"Ino and I will wait here in case the kids come back," Karui huffed, tossing her bright red hair over her shoulder. "Don't you boys mess this up now, you hear?"

"Don't worry," Shikamaru snorted. "We'll be back in no time." With that, the five-man squad grabbed their gear and within the hour met at the gate, accompanied by a tracking dog. Once it had picked up on the scents, they dashed into the trees, hot on the trail of the children and their beloved teacher. As thunder began to roll overhead, Shikamaru could not help but think the situation was eerily familiar.

 _No. It won't end like that this time,_ he told himself firmly as the shadows of the leaves above danced over him. _This time… I_ _ **won't**_ _lose._


	33. Chapter 32: Ayumi's Flight

Ayumi's gaze was trained on the ground as her feet shuffled against the forest floor, one right after the other, just as they had been for hours on end. One of the straps on her sandal had broken, and with each step it flopped uselessly against her foot, which was covered in dirt from the long, long trek through the forest. Her bare legs were covered in scratches from brambles and thickets that she was forced through, and their wicked thorny fingers had clawed the teacher willingly and eagerly. The hem of her dress was a sorry sight, the yellow fabric stained brown with dust and grime, and the edges torn and frayed beyond repair. As she trudged on, her limp strands of chestnut hair flopped against her dirty face. On and on she went, her hands bound with rope bleeding from the way it rubbed her wrists raw. She lifted her head wearily, staring at the backs of her captors, who were busy chuckling about their nefarious deeds. How long had it been? Half a day or more, Ayumi reckoned. Long enough to know that if there was a search team after her, it was likely that she would never be found.

Because she had not been paying attention, she did not see the tree root sticking out of the grassy ground until she literally tripped over it. She stumbled with a shout, but she was so weak that she could not regain her balance, and landed face-first on the forest floor. She spit out grass and dirt and her own hair weakly, but continue to lay there. Everything hurt. She felt like her muscles were throbbing, sending fiery tendrils of pain up and down her body. _Please. Let me rest,_ she begged silently as she stared wearily at a blade of grass through half-lidded eyes, watching as an ant crawled up the green surface and wiggled its antennae at her. _Let me die._

"Oi. Get up," one of the men snapped and grabbed her by the back of her dress, attempting to pull her up. Ayumi's body would no longer do what she told it to, and as she tried to stand on her hands and knees, all her strength left her and she flopped back against the earth with a grunt. She dug her fingers into the ground, feeling the soft, loamy soil against her skin. Rich, life-giving soil. Yet, try as she might, Ayumi could glean none of that life from the earth. "Oi! Bitch! I said _get up!_ " he shouted, and Ayumi groaned loudly as he kicked her in the ribs. The pain that blossomed in her side just mingled with the rest of it, and she didn't even flinch as he continued to drive his booted foot against her side.

"Hey. That's enough. You know we aren't supposed to damage the goods," another snorted and glanced up through the thick canopy of the trees. "Sundown is close. We've been walking all day. I say we break for the night," he proposed as he stared up at the patches of sunlight shining overhead. Ayumi weakly reached out to touch one of the nearby pools of light, feeling the soft heat on her fingertips as she attempted to catch the light playing across the green grass. It felt so nice to have the heat of the sun against her skin, after hours of trudging beneath the coolness of the woods. She gasped as she was suddenly jerked up, and the warmth vanished from her hands. _No…_

Her feet scrabbled in the fallen leaves, useless beneath her as one of the men held her up by her arm. Her head flopped back against his shoulder, her hair falling into her face as she gazed weakly up at the trees above. How she would like to fly away, to soar up above the canopy away from these awful men. _I'm so tired,_ she thought miserably. Still, after a minute of them cursing and threatening her, she managed to find her feet again, and she obediently trudged after them for a few more yards.

Once they let her go, she collapsed against the roots of a tree, panting heavily from exhaustion. She leaned back against the smooth bark as she watched them make camp for the night. They struck a fire, and even from the small distance Ayumi felt the heat kissing her skin. She stared into the crackling red-orange-yellow flames, running her hands over her arms as they slowly warmed her chilled body. The worn ropes scratched against her, and she hastily ceased her actions, despising the feeling. Her eyes flickered as one of the men stopped in front of her.

"Here. Eat it," he demanded as he held out a loaf of bread to her. Ayumi stared up at him, weighing the measure of her pride, before she snatched it out of his hands and began ripping it apart and shoveling it down hungrily. Bread had never tasted so good to her as she scarfed it down. She went too fast, however, and began to cough. She held her chest as they wracked her body violently, and when the man held out a canister of water to her she snatched it and tipped it over against her mouth, guzzling it. "Hey, hey, cut it out, you bitch!" he cried and ripped it away from her, leaving Ayumi sputtering with water streaming from her mouth. Still, after eating and drinking, she felt a little bit better. With a small sigh, she leaned back against the tree, wheezing.

"All right, you. Let me see those ropes," one of them demanded as he grabbed her roughly by the wrists. "Mmm. I told them not to get this cheap shit," he muttered as he observed the frayed ends. "Not that I think you'll go anywhere, but just in case," he smirked as he dropped her hands and stepped back, weaving a few handsigns. Ayumi watched as a red barrier in the shape of a cube sprung up around her, locking her in the small space. "Now don't get any ideas," he snickered at her. "See this barrier?" he said and picked up a well-sized limb, sticking it into the barrier. Where the wood met the jutsu, electricity crackled soundlessly. "It won't kill ya, but it'll be the worse damn pain you ever experience. Be a good girl and stay in here, and you won't get hurt," he told her with a snicker before tossing the limb aside and stomped over to his buddies. They gathered around the fire to eat while another climbed into a tree nearby to take watch. Utterly exhausted, Ayumi flopped over on her side, losing consciousness.

When she awoke, the forest had deepened with night. Hissing slightly in pain as she pushed herself up with her bound hands, she blinked as she peered around in the gloom. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the gloom to reveal her captors snoozing on the grassy ground, barely distinguishable by the sparse moonlight. The fire had died down to mere embers, glowing deep red. Of course, everything was bathed in red to Ayumi, trapped behind the barrier. Slowly, she listened, and the only sounds were the chirping of crickets and the soft chirping of the wind. Her eyes lifted to the tree where the watch stood, and she could see him slumped against the bough of the tree, unconscious.

It was now or never.

Forcing her wearied muscles to act, she shakily stood up, grabbing onto the tree for support. She stretched up to rip a thick branch from the tree, plucking the leaves off to leave the bare barked wood. She glanced up at the men as she gripped it tightly, then, eyes trained on the sleeping man, she pressed it underfoot and snapped a section off. She waited several seconds before placing the small branch between her teeth. She laid herself down on the ground, panting as she crawled closer to the blazing red barrier. _I can do it. I can do it,_ she told herself as she wriggled across the ground. The barrier was right in front of her now. _Go, Ayumi!_

As she plunged her arms through, she instantly collapsed as indescribable, excruciating pain exploded in her body. The electricity wreaked havoc on her system, and she shook violently as she endured it, biting down on the stick as she whimpered. _Go, Ayumi, go,_ she continued to tell herself as she shuffled forward, pushing her head through. She flopped down again, shaking and screaming inside, but her body was so much in pain that she could not make a sound. It hurt so much she could never put it into words, but still, her will to survive was much stronger. Slowly, slowly, her fingers digging into the earth and her teeth grinding into the wood, she dragged herself through the barrier. As she was pulling her feet through, the stick snapped in her mouth and a strangled gasp slipped out. She flopped down once she was finished, laying in the cool grass as her entire body pulsed strongly. _I can't. I can't do this,_ she thought, muffling her heavy breathing with the thick blanket of grass. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she let out a whimper. She wanted to die there, for the pain to end, all the pain.

Still, she did not die like she wanted. The pain slowly subsided, and the strength returned to her body. She lifted her head to gaze at the camp with unfocused eyes, breathing hard as she recovered from the arduous ordeal. The men had somehow not waken up. _Get up, Ayumi,_ she growled to herself. Her knees knocked together as she forced herself up on her knees, and she looked around the clearing as she steadied her breathing. The pain in her body faded to a dull ache, allowing her to stand up unsteadily. _All right, Ayumi. Come on. Time to get out of here,_ she thought firmly as she silently crossed the clearing. She kneeled down beside the nearest one, her breath in her throat as she inched her fingers toward the pouch at his side. Every cell in her body was screaming in terror as she flipped it open and slowly, ever so slowly, drew a kunai out of the pouch. As soon as it was secure in her hand, she crept back, heart hammering. He never stirred.

Adrenaline coursing through her veins at the thought of nearly being free, Ayumi's hand trembled violently as she attempted to slice the bindings around her wrists. Holding the kunai backward, she sawed at the thick ropes until finally it snapped and fell away. She held the kunai as she gave the clearing another once-over before she plunged into the brush.

As soon as she decided she was well enough away, she took off in a full sprint. Her feet slapped against the ground as she dashed through the moonlight and leaves. She had no idea where she was going, where home was- all she knew was that she had to get _away_ , far away from those vile men who wanted to sell her into slavery- or worse. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she fled into the night, and all the emotion she had kept inside suddenly burst forth. Sobs exploded from her as she ran through the bushes and trees, echoing through the night. The tears blurred her vision as she tore through the black and the green and the silver moonlight, but still she pressed on, unable to go any way but forward.

Suddenly, everything fell away, and Ayumi was in the open. The sky blazed above her, a blue landscape dotted with thousands of stars. On either side of her, the road stretched on and on in either directions. _The road!_ She thought in relief, panting from her feverish run. That simple dirt road was her blessed salvation, the thing that would lead her to safety and _home._ She could have laughed if it would not have possibly betrayed her to the men who sought her. She looked this way and that, pondering which way to go.

However, her choice was made for her.

She screamed as a kunai whistled past her face, slamming into the thick trunk of a tree across the path. Ayumi stumbled back as the five men appeared from the dark forest, their eyes flashing with hostility as they spread out in a semi-circle around her. She held up the knife threateningly. She hadn't come so far to be dragged back now. _Come on, Ayumi. It's all up to you,_ she told herself as she crouched in a somewhat offensive stance.

"Come on now, sweetheart. Don't make us hurt you," the leader smiled at her, but his expression was laced with anger. As one of the edged forward, she slashed at the air with the weapon, screaming.

"Stay back! I'm warning you!" she shrieked in fury, breathing hard as her chestnut eyes flared. _I won't go! I won't go!_ She thought wildly. In the face of the infuriated woman, the men regarded her levelly, pacing back and forth like feral cats waiting to strike their prey. Ayumi looked from one man to the other, just waiting for one of them to move.

Without warning, one of them dashed toward her, his knife flashing in the moonlight as he raced toward her. Ayumi screeched in terror as he bore down on her, and she threw up her arms on instinct as he lashed out at her with the knife. Steel rang in the night air as their weapons clashed, sparks dancing across them as the metal collided. Ayumi clumsily stumbled back, her other arm flailing as she attempted to stave off the oncoming blows. With each hit, her entire body jarred with the impact, so much so that her teeth knocked together. She screamed as he abruptly grabbed her arm, attempting to subdue her. "No! _No!_ You let go of me! _You let go, you bastard!"_ she shrieked angrily as she wrestled with him. She wrenched her arm free and, in one swift movement, sliced his neck open. She gasped as blood sprayed all over her face, turning her red as she watched in horror as the man gurgled and clutched at his throat. She watched with wide, horrified eyes as he slumped to the ground, the blood pooling at her feet. Her hand shook violently with the realization of what she had done.

 _I… I killed him,_ she thought numbly. As she reeled, the other men took the opportunity to surge forward. Ayumi cried out and jerked back, fumbling over her feet and holding up the bloody weapon as she cried. "No! Stay away!" she sobbed, but all the fight had left her. Her arm flopped down to her side as the leader reached for her, and she lay there, defeated.

"Get away from Miss Ayumi!" someone shouted, and a shuriken whipped through the air to strike the ground at her feet. Her heart stopped dead in her chest.

 _No. No. Please, no, tell me it isn't true,_ she thought as she stifled a sob. It was. Oh, it was. "Step away from her, you jerks!" Shikadai cried as he dropped down from the tree above, holding a kunai aloft. Chocho and Inojin were on either side of him, and an old dog growled at the men, snapping to keep them at bay.

"Miss Ayumi! We're here to save you!" Chocho beamed.

 _Oh God._


	34. Chapter 33: Duty of a Mother

_Please. This can't be happening. Tell me this isn't happening,_ Ayumi thought as a sob slipped out of her. Tears blurred the form of the three children standing in front of her, bravely bearing weapons against their teacher's four remaining aggressors. No pain she had experience in the past twenty-four hours compared to this, the sight of her beloved children, standing at the door to death. It was enough to kill her.

"Well, well, what have we got here? A couple of brats to the rescue?" the leader sneered as he regarded the three young ninja, apparently over the initial shock of their abrupt appearance. "How cute," he laughed and moved to reached out to pet Inojin, but the recoiled with a hiss as the blonde boy slashed at him with the knife, slicing open his palm. As his hand bloomed red, he looked at the child with pure hate. "Why, you little bastard," he hissed and grabbed Inojin by the front of his shirt, lifting him clear off the ground. He squeaked in fright, his blue eyes growing wide. He clutched at the hand, kicking weakly at his attacker.

"Let him go!" Shikadai cried and lunged at him, stabbing him in the arm. He then shrieked as another one of the ninja grabbed him around the middle and lifted him up. He shrieked in anger and writhed around. The dog barked and jumped up on the man, bowling him over so that Shikadai could scramble free. He crawled across the grass, grabbing his discarded kunai and driving it into the leg of the man holding Inojin. He howled in pain in response, dropping the young boy and whipping around to punch Shikadai in the face. He cried out as he went flying, landing beside Ayumi in a crumpled heap. He held his head tenderly, crying softly.

"You jerk!" Chocho screeched indignantly and jumped at the man, and she screamed as one of them grabbed her by one of her pigtails and jerked her back. She whimpered as he held her up by her hair while the man inspected her.

"Hey, this one's cute. A little on the chubby side, but that can be fixed. Someone will pay a pretty penny for her," he reckoned with an evil grin, and Chocho's eyes grew as wide as saucers. She then began to cry pitifully, terrified beyond reason. The knife dropped from her hand as she sobbed uncontrollably, not even putting up a fight as the man bound her hands and dragged her off into the road so she was out of the way.

"Chocho! No, let her go!" Inojin shouted as he sat up, grabbing for the knife. He wailed in pain as another man stomped on his little hand, crushing it. "Aaaaaaaaaah!" he screamed as he curled up.

"What about these two?" the man snorted as he looked at Shikadai and Inojin in disdain. The leader was wrapping his sliced hand, and he snorted at the question.

"Kill them. Boys don't sell," he answered as he turned his back and stomped over to where Chocho was sitting screaming and sobbing in the dirt road. "And you tie that bitch up good this time!" he shouted over his shoulder. Inojin whimpered as the man lifted from his foot from his hand, and he half-crawled, half-dragged himself over to Shikadai, who was still crying and holding the side of his head where the man had punched him. He went white with terror as he looked up and saw the man pull out a kunai, while the other started pulling out rope, intending to bind the teacher.

 _No,_ Ayumi thought. The blood had run down her face, staining the yellow fabric of her dress red. It still slicked her hand where it had run down from the kunai knife that she had sliced the man's neck open with. It felt hot and thick, but now it seemed not to bother her as her fingers closed around the handle of the knife. _No._ As the man's knife flashed in the glowing moonlight, Inojin shuffled away from him, shaking Shikadai's shoulder frantically.

"Shikadai. Shikadai, get up. Get up!" he whispered, his voice hoarse with fear. Shikadai seemed not to hear him, sobbing quietly as he whispered under his breath.

"I'm scared… I wanna go home… Daddy… Where are you? Miss Ayumi…" he whimpered as he curled up tightly in a ball, quivering violently. His trembling hand reached out and closed around the fabric of the woman's dress. "Mommy…!" he gasped.

" _Noooooooooo!"_ Ayumi screeched as the knife came bearing down, and she shot upward, her knife cutting the air in a savage arc. The man never saw it coming as it raked right up his middle, slitting him open from his belly to his chin. He stumbled backward, mumbling as blood leaked out of him, and then his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he crumpled to the ground. Inojin shrieked and blood splashed all over him, but Ayumi cared not. She was bathed in the hot, red liquid as she stood in front of her beloved children, her eyes blazing with a fire she never knew she possessed. " _Get away from my children,"_ she growled angrily at the other man, who was staring at her in utter disbelief.

"Lady, what kind of a monster are you?" he gasped as he dropped the rope and fumbled for a kunai.

"She's just a woman! Kill her!" the leader called in annoyance as he watched the scene from the road. His lackey gulped as he regarded the infuriated woman warily, but seemed to gather his courage. He sprung at her, slashing, but the knife collided with Ayumi's. His eyes widened as Ayumi immediately turned on the offensive, hacking at him with all the fury her petite frame could hold. She pushed him back, his feet scrabbling in the dust as he struggled to fend of the teacher's furious attacks. However, the blood on Ayumi's hand made her hand slick, and as she slashed at him it slipped from her hand and went flying, landing uselessly in the dirt a few yards away.

"I've got you now, bitch," he grinned at her, jumping forward. Rather than run, Ayumi let the knife dig deep into her shoulder. His eyes widened in shock, but Ayumi gritted her teeth, enduring the pain. As he moved to pull his arm back, she latched onto it, preventing him from doing so. "What the-? Are you mad?" he cried, jerking to try and break free of the surprisingly strong woman's grasp.

"It's been a long time since I've done this," Ayumi huffed as she placed her hand on the middle of the confused man's chest. "Let's see if it works." As he grew panicked and tried to break free, Ayumi summoned her chakra, concentrating it in her arm. It built up, writhing with power so fierce that her arm trembled violently. When she felt she could not take no more, she activated her jutsu. _Ninja Art! Electric Shockwave Justu!_ The man screamed in agony as the chakra burst forth from Ayumi's hand, taking the form of electricity. His entire body spasmed as the teacher sent hundreds of volts pouring into his body, and then abruptly his body shot backward, sailing across the road to collide with a tree. He crashed into it with a heavy _thunk,_ then fell limp among the roots and dead leaves, unmoving, staring with glassy eyes.

Ayumi immediately slumped, drained. _Ugh. That takes a lot more out of me than I remember,_ she thought as she panted heavily, her arm dangling by her side as it pulsed with the remnants of electricity. It made her fingers twitch and spark with leftover static, but she forced herself to wipe the blood from her hand and shuffle forward to retrieve her discarded kunai. She walked out into the middle of the road, flicking her blood-soaked brown hair from her face as she stared levelly at the two men standing beside the trussed-up Chocho. The little girl had stopped sobbing, but the moonlight caught the silent tears still streaming down her cheeks in a thick river. "It's all right, Chocho. Don't cry. I won't let them take you anywhere," she assured her young student softly. She glanced over her shoulder at the two boys, who were still in shock. Inojin was sitting with his arms wrapped around his knees, shuddering as he stared unseeing into the middle of the road, while Shikadai was laying amongst the roots beside him, seemingly unconscious. Anger flared in the teacher once more, and she turned her glare on the two men.

"What the bloody hell are you?" the lackey whispered in horror.

"I'm a _teacher!"_ Ayumi shouted hotly, and he retracted a few steps as Ayumi advanced slowly. "How _dare_ you. You will _regret_ laying a hand on my children," she hissed. They had come for her, risked their lives on a foolish attempt to rescue her from her captors, traveling who knows how many miles into the dark wood- all because they loved her. Perhaps it was that pure, untainted love that gave the woman this unimaginable strength now. "I will _kill_ you," she hissed. She would not allow her charges to die. That was her duty, as a teacher, as a woman, as a mother. In the face of such pure rage, the lackey sliced through Chocho's ropes and bundled her forward in a pathetic attempt to appease the savage Ayumi.

"Please! You can have her! Just don't kill us!" he begged. Ayumi's eyes flickered to the little girl, who was simpering pitifully as she looked at Ayumi with wide, tearful eyes.

"What are you doing, you idiot? We aren't letting either of them get away!" the leader growled and grabbed Chocho by her arm as she moved to run forward. The little girl screamed in terror and tried to pull away, her feet dragging in the dirt as she was wrenched farther down the road. "You knock that crazy bitch out and tie her from head to toe, do you hear me?" he barked.

"No way in hell am I going up against that!" the man refused as he shook his head insistently, backing away from the teacher who must have looked no less than a demon. Ayumi twirled the knife in her hands, scattering blood droplets in the earth as she carefully watched and waited. As she stood there, she felt strange; where was her aversion to battle, her fear of killing, her hatred of blood? She felt none of those things. All she felt was pure rage, adrenaline, _power. I must protect them. I'll give my life to do it,_ she thought. Perhaps _this_ was the reason people became ninja, to devote their lives utterly and wholly to serving others. Perhaps it was a worthy cause after all, and Ayumi had wasted her life in not pursuing it.

"Damn it, man! She's a woman, not even a kunoichi, at that! You get her, or _I'll_ kill you!" he demanded and pointed a kunai knife at him warningly. The man swallowed and uneasily shuffled forward, staring at Ayumi in nothing short of pure fear. He drew reached behind his back and pulled out a sword, perhaps hoping to overpower the woman with a longer blade. It was a good tactic, to be sure.

However, no blade could protect him from Ayumi's unbridled anger. With a shriek, she shot toward him, her sandals throwing up dust as she shot over the dirt road. He yelped in fright as she advanced rapidly on him, abandoning whatever strategy he was thinking of to throw up his sword to block the incoming blow. Sparks split the air as the two steel blades collided, lighting up Ayumi's enraged face as she glared at her enemy. He went pale as she shoved him backwards, and he landed roughly on his behind in the dirt. His sword clattered to the ground, and Ayumi snatched it up and held the tip to the startled ninja's throat.

"I yield," he whispered, and Ayumi cocked her head to the side, contemplating on killing the man. After a minute of gazing levelly down at him, she pulled the blade back and snorted in contempt.

"Get out of my way," she growled, and he nodded furiously before crawling off the path, whimpering pathetically. Ayumi twirled the blade in her hand, admiring the way it felt as it whipped through the air, like it was cleaving it in two. _Perhaps I'll study the sword,_ she thought smugly as her chestnut eyes flickered to her last remaining enemy. The leading man was glaring her with a rage that matched her own, but she knew his pride would not permit him to surrender to her, a lowly woman. He shoved the sniveling Chocho aside as he pulled out a kunai, staring intently at the teacher. The little girl rose on wobbly knees and ran over to the two boys, collapsing with miserable wails beside them. The dog stood protectively in front of them, growling at the surrendered ninja just in case he got any bright ideas.

"Where did you get all of this spirit from?" the ninja growled softly at her as he paced slowly in a circle. Ayumi matched him step for step, her gaze never faltering. "I was told you were a civilian, who had never handled a weapon. You relied on that Nara guy to protect you." At the mention of her estranged love, Ayumi's eyes narrowed slightly. She didn't know why these guys were so obsessed with Shikamaru. Perhaps the remains behind his abrupt break-up were this strange group that he had been tracking for years, and the reason Ayumi had been abducted. They seemed to be hell-bent on making him suffer.

That, Ayumi would not stand for.

"You threaten the things I hold dear," she answered simply, gazing levelly at him. "You dare to attack helpless children. You kidnap women and sell them into slavery. You hurt the man I love," she murmured. Stopping in her tracks, her body set between the enemy and her shell-shocked students, she held up the sword. "I suppose I should thank you. It's because of you that I found my strength," she remarked with a sneer.

"You are nothing but a weak woman, and you'll die one if you don't put that sword down," he warned. Instead of heeding it, Ayumi dashed forward, the sword humming in her hand as it skimmed the surface of the road. She brought it up, and it collided with the kunai with such force that both of them shook with the impact. He took it better than the others, immediately pushing Ayumi on the defensive. She blocked each blow he rained down on her, but her body was unable to withstand the assault. The long battle combined with the weary walk finally weighed on her, and it wasn't long before her strength gave out and the sword went spinning out of her hand. She gasped as he grabbed her by her hair, driving his knee into her face. Her vision whirled as blood spurted from her nose, and the bitter taste of iron danced on her tongue as she was forced to her knees. The cold blade tested against her throat. "See? Nothing but a weak woman," he spat and shoved her into the dirt. Ayumi landed on her face, groaning. Her muscles ached and her nose burned, but still she tried to push herself up. She screeched as he planted his booted foot in her back, holding her there.

"Let… Go…" she growled as she spat blood from her mouth.

"You really do have some willpower. You're almost more trouble than you're worth. Now… To deal with these children," he huffed, and the children squeaked in fright as he set his sights on them. The dog snarled and crouched down, his hackles bristling as he guarded the helpless children. "You mangy mutt. You wanna die too?" he laughed as he stepped off the teacher to begin walking, but Ayumi grabbed his boot firmly.

"No, you bastard! I won't let you!" she hissed, then screamed as he kicked her in the face. She whipped onto her back, vision blurry as her head pounded. Her hand kept its firm grip on his foot, even as he attempted to shake it off. "I said… no…" she breathed, tears stinging her eyes as she stared up at the starry sky. _It's so beautiful…_

"You really are one annoying bitch! Get off!" he snarled, and Ayumi coughed violently as he drove his foot into her stomach. It burned, like he was holding a firebrand to her, but she wouldn't let go. She couldn't.

"Shikadai… Don't cry…" she whispered, on the borders of unconsciousness. She wasn't sure if he was even awake, if he could hear her ramblings. "I will protect you always…"

"You can't protect anyone, you crazy woman," the man spat and moved to stomp on her again. However, before he could bring it down on her, he abruptly froze on the spot. "What…? My body! I can't move!"

"That's quite enough, asshole. It's the end of the line for you!" called a mocking voice. _I know that voice,_ Ayumi thought. Gritting her teeth as she harnessed what little strength she had, she lifted her head, and what she saw there brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes.

"Shikamaru," she whispered. _He came. He came for me. My love._

"Good job, Ayumi. We'll finish up here," he grinned at her, crouched on the ground with his shadow extended beneath him, traveling across the small patch of moonlight. On either side of him stood Sakura, Kiba, Sai, and Choji. Ayumi couldn't help but laugh, but that spent the last of her strength, and she flopped back against the dirt road.

 _My children are safe._


	35. Chapter 34: Never Let Go

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes as he regarded the man standing over the bloody woman. Was it her blood? Considering the fact that the road was strewn with the bodies of fallen ninja, Shikamaru could only assume that Ayumi had killed them in a furious effort to protect the three children huddled in the tree roots not far away, shielded by the old Akamaru. Shikamaru expected that Ayumi would have been able to take down one of them, but to see that she had killed three and forced another to surrender was nothing short of amazing. _She really fought like hell,_ he thought as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Someone's coming!" Kiba snarled abruptly, sniffing the air. The man standing over the teacher grinned as five more men dropped out of the trees. _Great. Reinforcements,_ he thought with a snort. He glanced up at the sky as the moonlight suddenly wavered; a cloud had drifted over the moon, eclipsing its soft white light. Shikamaru's shadow vanished, and so did his hold on Ayumi's aggressor. He grinned and flexed his hands experimentally, smirking.

"Ah, that's more like it. I'm surprised you dragged your ass all the way out here, Nara. I thought you would have been at home, moping. It looks like our boss didn't scare you badly enough," he remarked icily as he lifted his gaze to meet Shikamaru's. With a huff, the Jonin rose and slid his hands in his pockets, letting his irritation show on his expression.

"Your boss dishonored our agreement. Is he around? I'd really like to kick his ass," he huffed. His eyes drifted to the fallen teacher, and in the sparse light he could see the rise and fall of her chest. _She's alive,_ he thought in relief. His dark eyes flicked back to the enemy, who was grinning at him. Underneath that toothy smile, he was all hostility.

"Sorry. 'Fraid not. He's waiting for us to deliver this little lady right here," he remarked and gestured down to Ayumi. Just the thought sent fire raging through his blood, and he pulled out a kunai knife, gripping it tightly as he pointed it right at the man's face.

"Speaking of, what the hell happened?" barked one of the men who had joined the party late. "We've been waiting for over an hour, and when we come looking for you, the place is a bloodbath. Did this bitch go nuts?" he huffed as he nudged Ayumi with a toe. He jumped back as Shikamaru whipped the kunai at him, narrowly avoiding being struck in the head. The woman had fought too hard and risked too much to simply be stepped on like that. _I've had_ _ **enough.**_

" _Get them!"_ he shouted, and his comrades sprung into action. They all leaped at each other, and the air sang with the sound of ringing steel as the two regiments of ninja collided in the air. Their forms were blurs as they whipped through the air, jumping from trees and the ground as they violently clashed. Shikamaru chased the ringleader across the road, hacking and slashing at him with all his strength, all his hate. He would _kill_ him for treating his beautiful, kind, loving teacher that way.

His feet threw up clouds of dust as he dashed across the dirt surface. As he landed, a handful of shuriken whistled through the air toward him, and he threw himself to the side to avoid them. Landing in a handstand, he somersaulted through the air to jump into a tree, landing securely in the bough. His dark eyes swept across the road, analyzing the chaos as he searched for his enemy.

"Cha! Take this!" Sakura roared as her fist glowed with chakra, and she drove it into the earth, causing it to crack and crumble as the shockwave ripped across the surface. The ninja wailed and flailed his arms as he was swallowed up by the massive trench she carved into the woods, and trees buckled and disappeared under the rubble as the blow scored through the forest.

"Oh, no you don't! This is for Chocho!" Choji shouted as one of the ninja made a mad dash toward the pink-haired kunoichi. "Partial Expansion Jutsu!" His arm grew to the size of a giant's and he whipped it across the road, and his massive palm slammed into the running ninja, sending him sailing into the woods with a high-pitched yelp. He did not emerge from the quivering leaves.

"Ahhh! What the hell are these things?" two ninja wailed as they ran from the dark ink beasts prowling on the dirt road, massive lions that were drawings of black and white. Sai sat crouched down, drawing an inked brush across his scroll as he illustrated more of the beasts and sent them dashing after the runaways, right into Kiba, who was waiting for them.

"Gotcha!" he laughed as he clotheslined both of them, slamming his thick arms into their necks. They immediately crumpled, falling in graceless heaps at his feet. "Man. Not even a challenge," he pouted.

Shikamaru's dark, calculating eyes absorbed all of this, but there was something missing.

 _Where was Ayumi_?

"Shikamaru!" came the frightened scream, and he whipped around in the tree to see his enemy carrying her through the underbrush, attempting to escape. The blood roaring in his ears, he leaped from the tree and began following him through the canopy, jumping from branch to branch as he tracked the man. Finally, when he got the opportunity, he dived down and slammed down into his back, causing blood to spray from his mouth as he crushed his ribs on either side. He sprawled out beneath the furious Jonin, while Ayumi went rolling to the side, unmoving. Infuriated, Shikamaru flipped him over and began driving his fist into his face.

"You bastard!" he cried as he punched him over and over. "How does it feel? Huh?" Blood sprayed from the man's mouth and nose, coating Shikamaru's knuckles and splattering all over his face as he pummeled him mercilessly. His eyes were hard as stone as he hit him over and over and over, pouring all the rage and frustration and sadness he had been feeling for weeks into the helpless man. "I hate you! I hate all of you! Where is he? Where is _he?_ Tell me!" he shouted and ceased his assault to grab him by the front of his shirt and lift him up. When his head lolled and he mumbled something incomprehensible, his face swollen from the countless blows, Shikamaru slammed him back down and hit him one last time, knocking him unconscious. Panting heavily, he sat over him, his knuckles stinging from where he had ripped the skin on the man's teeth. Slowly, slowly, he cooled down, and stood up. He glanced up to find that Ayumi was gone, just a smear of blood where she had been. A blood trail led back out to the road. Shikamaru grabbed the injured man by the front of the shirt and dragged him through the brush, throwing him in the dirt beside his comrades. Those that were still alive were currently being tied up by Shikamaru's friends. His dark eyes swept across the battle-torn landscape, until they fell on her.

She was sitting by the roots, the three children curled in her lap as they cried.

"It's all right now," she soothed them softly, a serene smile on her face as she comforted them. "You're all right. No one can hurt you now." She must have noticed that Shikamaru was staring, as she lifted her head. Amongst all that blood and sweat and tears, her soft brown eyes glistened, shining amber in gloom. His heart stopped as he gazed at her, captive to that gaze filled with questioning, with hurt, _with love._ He was broken out of his spell when Choji shouldered past him and went running over to the tree.

"Daddy!" Chocho wailed miserably and held up her arms to be held as her burly father stepped over one of the dead bodies in his attempt to scramble over to her. He lifted her up and spun around as he held her, their chubby cheeks rubbing together as he cuddled her. "I was so scared! Waaaah!" she sobbed as she hung onto his neck.

"It's okay. Daddy's here," he told her, blubbering himself. Inojin peeked around his stocky legs, his blue eyes filled with tears as he searched the road. When he saw Sai, he stepped out from behind Choji, running over to collapse into his father's lap.

"Uwaaaaaah!" he howled as he dissolved into incomprehensible sobs. Sai smiled softly and rubbed his back, offering gentle words to his frightened son. After Inojin had cried for a minute, he looked up at his father with tears and snot running down his face. "I'm s-so s-s-sorry! I w-won't leave a-again! N-not ever!" he howled and hugged his father tightly. He pulled back after a second, sniveling. "Th-they h-hurt m-my hand…" he whimpered. Sakura crouched down beside him, gently rubbing the top of his head.

"Here. Let me take a look at it," she told him gently before inspecting it closely. She placed her hand over it, and soft green light flowed from her hands as she healed the little boy.

"Akamaru! I can't believe you let these kids drag you out here! Whatsa matter with you?" Kiba scolded his dog sternly, hands on his hips as he stood over the tan dog. Akamaru whined loudly and hung his head, his ears dropping and tail hanging low. "Jeez. You old loon," he added with a sigh and crouched down to hug him around the neck, petting him affectionately. "What am I gonna do with you?" he laughed, and, relieved his master was no longer angry, he licked him on the face and wagged his tail happily.

"Daddy?" came the whimper Shikamaru had been waiting to hear. He glanced down to see that Shikadai had walked up to him, and was staring at him with wide blue eyes. _Temari's eyes,_ he thought absently. A mat of dried blood made the hair on the side of his head stick up stiffly, and it covered his little hand where he had been holding it tenderly. His bottom lip quivered as his father stared at him, and he hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry," he whimpered as tears dribbled down his cheeks. "I just… I wanted to save her… Oh, Daddy, I was so frightened," he sobbed, and Shikamaru sighed heavily as he leaned down and pulled him into his arms.

"I know. I was scared too," he murmured as he glanced up at the starry sky. By some grace of the gods, his son had come out unscathed. _Is that your doing, Temari?_ He wondered. He immediately knew it wasn't the answer, at least not the full one. He knew whose doing it was. He leaned his head against his crying son's as he cast his gaze back down to earth, where she was waiting.

Bathed in the moonlight, Ayumi still lay against the tree, her head turned to the side as she slept. She must have collapsed with exhaustion. She was a mess, but to Shikamaru, she was the most beautiful mess. She looked like a goddess of war, dyed red with blood but still radiant; her hair shone with ephemeral light, and her skin glowed with that thin sheen of sweat. _She fought like hell,_ he thought again. He turned his head, calming his son enough to convince him to scamper over to Sakura and treat his head wound. Meanwhile, Shikamaru crossed the road, stepping through blood and war-torn earth to stand in front of her. She stirred as his shadow fell over her, and she looked up at him weakly as he kneeled down in front of her.

"Shikamaru," she murmured.

Then she slapped him.

"Ow," he muttered as he rubbed his cheek tenderly. Her cheeks were puffed out as she stared at him, her lips pursed, but in her eyes he could see relief. "I deserved that."

"Yes you did, you stupid man," she huffed, and his eyes widened slightly as she suddenly jumped forward. Their lips crashed together like tidal waves, and from the force Shikamaru actually fell backwards on his behind. Ayumi grabbed him by the collar of his vest and held him captive as she kissed him with a fury, and he could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. Her chestnut hair fell in his face, and even through the scent of blood he could smell those daffodils, the scent of _her_ , that he loved so much. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body up against him, and he could feel her trembling with the force of emotion that had overtaken her. He kissed her back passionately, drunk on the taste of her, the smell of her, the _feeling_ of her that he had missed. He didn't care that his friends were watching; the whole world could have been staring at him and he _still_ would have done it. He had missed her so much, and now that she was here in his arms again, he never wanted to let go.

And he wouldn't.

"Ayumi," he gasped when she finally pulled back. She was breathing heavily, staring at him with wide eyes. Those beautiful chestnut eyes that were only hers.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she panted. She raised her hand again, and he cringed, expecting another well-earned slap, but she just reached up and gently caressed his cheek. "Shikamaru, why didn't you tell me that I was in danger?" she whispered, tilting her head to the side.

"Because I'm a stupid man," he chuckled weakly. He held her by the hips as she leaned over him, her fingers tracing her way across his jawline. "I thought I was keeping you safe. He told me that I had to let you go, or he would kill you… I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. It hurt so badly, but if I lost you… I couldn't go on living." Perhaps that was dramatic of him, but that was how he felt. "As you can plainly see, it was all a ruse, but… I didn't know that," he grunted. She smiled gently and leaned down, kissing him more softly this time.

"You had better not leave me again," she sighed against his lips.

"Not a chance," he told her firmly. She let out a breath, and then her full weight fell against him. Her exhaustion had caught up to her, it seemed, and she had once again lost consciousness. Shikamaru held her for a minute, feeling her breathing soften as her chest rose and fell and her heartbeat descend into a smooth rhythm as it beat over his. Then, he scooped her into his arms, cradling her into his chest as he stood unsteadily. He secured her in his arms before turning around, walking back out onto the road under the shining light of the moon and stars. The children had fallen asleep too, tired from their ordeal, and Shikadai was currently passed out on Kiba's back.

It was over, for now.

"Let's go home," he smiled softly as he looked down at the teacher, secure in his arms. He gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. _I'm bringing you home, Ayumi._

 _I'll never let you go again…_


	36. Chapter 35: Nightmares

Ayumi awoke screaming, her entire body burning as she felt hot, sticky blood drenching her skin. It soaked into her hair and ran down her face in thick rivers, and the scent of iron stung her nostrils and even filled her mouth the metallic taste. In her ears rang the ungodly screams of dying men, terrified, full of pain and anguish. She wasn't even so sure what had happened in the frightening nightmare as she flailed about, tangling herself in the sheets as she screamed in terror while the dark visions faded rapidly from her mind. She didn't know where she was, or really even in that moment of delirium _who_ she was, she just knew that she was absolutely terrified. All she could hear was her own heartbeat pounding like a drum in her ears and those awful, miserable screams.

"Ayumi! Ayumi! Calm down! It's okay! It's okay!" someone yelled as they burst through the sliding door and rushed to her bedside. The confused teacher glanced over at the newcomer to see a shock of bright pink hair and wide green eyes. "Ayumi, it's Sakura. I need you to breathe, okay? Just breathe," she told her soothingly. Ayumi gasped for breath, just focusing on the kind face in front of her, and gradually her senses returned to her. _I'm in a hospital room,_ she realized as her gaze swept over the pristine whiteness that she knew well, and her hands ran over the soft white cotton sheets. While she wondered why she would be in a hospital in the first place, she recalled the events of the past few days, and then exhaled deeply. _Right…_ she thought grumpily. She ran a hand through her chestnut-colored hair, finding it luscious and freshly washed rather than matted with the unsightly red liquid. "Are you all right now?" Sakura asked her quietly.

"Yes, I think so," she sighed heavily as she leaned back against the headboard of the bed, holding a hand over her heart. She could feel its rhythm slowly settle into a steady, calm beat. _It was only just a nightmare,_ she realized. Now that she had calmed down, she became aware of just how sore she was; her entire ached, but the areas across her stomach and ribs in particular burned with fiery pain. She supposed she had that vile man who had been the leader of her band of kidnappers to thank for that. She then suddenly gasped and grabbed Sakura by the shoulders to shake her violently. "Sakura! The children! Are they all right? Can I see them? Oh, please, tell me!" she babbled frantically.

"Hey! Hey! Cut it out!" the medical ninja laughed and shoved her hands off her shoulders so that Ayumi could no longer shake her, and she swept a few errant strands of pink hair from her face before smiling softly at her. "They escaped with only minor cuts and bruises, thanks to you. They were very psychologically scarred at first, had nightmares and stuck close to their parents and such, but they've recovered, more or less. They're back in school and are doing well," she reported happily.

"Wait! How long was I out this time?" Ayumi exclaimed in shock.

"About a week and a half," the kunoichi responded with a slightly uncomfortable smile, and Ayumi's mouth dropped open.

" _That long?"_ she shrieked and pulled at her hair. "This is terrible! Oh, I can't believe this! Oh, they must be so behind, and examinations are coming up soon and I have to get them ready! Oh, Sakura, how soon can you have me out of here?" she demanded in a panic.

"Ayumi, I don't think you realize just how far you pushed yourself," the nurse frowned at her. Ayumi looked at her lap, recalling the perilous events. _I guess I did push myself pretty hard…_ she reasoned as she remembered the long, weary walk, pushing herself through the barrier, and fending off the five dangerous ninja. "You'll be in the hospital for at least a few more days. You only just now regained full consciousness; up until now we've had to keep you sedated and full of pain medications. In addition to all your surface wounds, you suffered several broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, and you had a lot of internal bleeding. You were on the door to death when Shikamaru brought you to us." _I guess I have that last one to thank,_ she thought bitterly as she recalled the leader of the nefarious band of miscreants. "Not to mention the night terrors."

"Night terrors?" Ayumi blinked, bewildered.

"Oh, yes. What just happened wasn't a first-time thing. You've been having awful dreams, only this time we were able to snap you out of it. You would go completely wild and attack the doctors; we had to keep you sedated because you couldn't tell dream from reality," she told her grimly. Ayumi frowned deeply and leaned back, glancing up at the white tiled ceiling. _What have I been dreaming about?_ She wondered. Though the terror had been real enough only a few short minutes ago, the teacher could not seem to recall what had frightened her so; where the dream had been, there was only an empty black hole of nothingness, a blank slate in her memory. "How _do_ you feel, Ayumi? Anxious? Paranoid?" Sakura questioned.

"I feel fine," Ayumi replied with slight confusion. She supposed that someone who had gone through such an ordeal _would_ feel such things, but Ayumi didn't. She felt perfectly normal, safe, almost like nothing had happened at all. "It's very odd. I was _kidnapped,_ after all, and on top of that I killed three men with my own hands," she sighed and looked down. Last she had remembered, her hands and upper arms had been dyed crimson, but now all she could see was her pure, clean skin. "Yet, I don't feel anything at all…" she murmured. _What's going on in my head?_

It wasn't until night fell that Ayumi learned.

Ayumi awoke in the dark gloom of a forest- or well, she _seemed_ to awaken. She knew immediately that it was a dream, supposedly one of the horrible night terrors that had plagued her during her hospital stay. Yet, as she sit in the lush grass with a hand to her chest and her eyes wide as she glanced around nervously in the dark, she had no memory of the dream; she knew not what was going to occur there, in those quiet woods bathed in the stillness of night. Warily, she rose to her feet and shuffled around in the forest clearing, but was unable to get her bearings. Not even the stars could guide her, as the sky was roiling with dark gray clouds that all but eclipsed the soft light of the heavens. "Hello?" she called softly, fearfully. She blinked, and then screamed.

It was like watching a page in a book be torn away to reveal a new illustration, only this one was an equivalent to Hell. The sky above now shone with a red moon, bathing the battle-torn clearing with ghostly red light. All around the young teacher were dozens of bodies, stacked on top of one another, eyes glassy, mouths agape with their last dying screams. Some of them weren't dead yet, and were wailing in anguish as they begged for mercy, reaching out for her with red hands. As Ayumi stumbled backwards, the soil beneath her feet squished, so saturated it was with the thick red blood that poured from the deceased warriors. Hyperventilating with fear, she turned on her heel and ran blindly through the red darkness, screaming with fright. In her terror, she lost her coordination and ended up falling on her face, right on top of a course. When she looked up, she felt like she had been submerged in ice.

It was _Shikamaru._

She recoiled with a shout, scrambling off the dead body and back into the blood-spattered grass. She felt absolutely sick, and turned to her side as she abruptly retched, crying miserably. Surely, it was only a trick of the mind, but when she peered out of the corners of her eyes, it was unmistakably the man she loved. Quivering with the realization, she glanced around, only to find that the bodies around her were not strangers after all. A few feet away, Sakura lie face-down, in a pool of her own blood; by a tree, Ino was slumped against the trunk with a trail of blood dribbling from her mouth while her husband lay beside her, on his back staring up at the sky. Even Naruto had not escaped the carnage, lying on his side with his back to her and his signature yellow hair streaked red. "What is this? What's happening?" Ayumi whispered in fear as her wide, brown eyes absorbed the hellish nightmare.

"You couldn't protect them," called a solemn voice, and the teacher whipped around.

"Shikadai!" she exclaimed in shock. The little boy had appeared beside his father, pristine compared to the bloody scene around him; he had no wounds, no blood on him at all, but Ayumi did not feel relieved. She was afraid.

"You weren't strong enough, Miss Ayumi. Now they're all dead," the little boy smiled, but it was a smile like a demon, not the young child she knew and loved. Apprehensive, she began to scoot away. "You can't run away from it forever. You are _weak._ Those men are after you, and sooner or later they'll come for you, the whole army, and they'll kill everyone you know and love," he whispered softly, walking after her as she turned over and began to hastily crawl away. _No. No. Leave me alone. I want to wake up! I want to wake up!_ She thought in a panic. She suddenly became aware of that awful feeling of sticky blood all over her body and the stench of it burning her nose, making her sick once more. "They'll all die, and you can do nothing," he chimed, and Ayumi screamed and fell back when he was suddenly in front of her again. " _Nothing,"_ he laughed, and this time he was drenched head-to-toe in blood, and then the clearing was ringing with the screams of the dead, but Ayumi's terror-filled wail was still louder than them all.

She woke up when she fell out of the bed and roughly struck the floor, but rather than get up, she just lay there sobbing, tangled up in the white sheets. The nightmare still clung to her; her body felt heavy with the thick blanket of blood, and the scent of it still lingered in her nose, and every time she opened her eyes everything that should have been white was splashed with crimson. Half-asleep and still delirious, she dragged herself to the bathroom and pulled herself up to the sink, unable to stand for her legs shaking so violently. She turned on the water in hope that the refreshing cold would snap her out of her fit, but she fell back with a screech as hot red blood came shooting out of the faucet instead of the clear liquid. She screamed as it splashed down onto her, coating her with even more of the vile substance, and she hurriedly crawled away to the corner of the room, knocking over a couple of the chairs and medical equipment in her haste. Sobbing pathetically, she curled up in a ball against the wall and trembled violently, pulling the sheets over her head and squeezing her eyes shut tight. _Am I going crazy?_ She wondered fearfully, but she had not the courage to lift the white sheets and see if her hellish vision was still there. She whimpered as the sliding door abruptly opened, convinced that it was the demonic little boy there to taunt her some more.

"Ayumi?!"

 _That isn't Shikadai's voice,_ she frowned, but did not retreat from her safe haven of sheets as rapid footsteps crossed the room. Through the thin fabric, she could see someone kneeling down in front of her, and the fact that she could see his outline clued her in to the fact that it was morning. She knew that silhouette well, with those broad shoulders and that ponytail, but she did not dare remove the sheets from her head. The sight of his pale, dead body covered in blood flashed in her mind, causing another sob to slip out of her. "Ayumi…" Shikamaru sighed before sitting down in front of her, and though she was terrified, she did not resist as he pulled the blankets from her head. She kept her eyes shut, though, safe in the darkness and unsure what lie in the light. "Ayumi, it's okay. You can open your eyes."

"No," she refused vehemently. Then, in a whisper, she added, "I'm afraid to. I've gone mad."

"You have not gone mad. You just had a bad dream, that's all," he mused softly, and she twitched as she felt the warmth of his hand against her cheek. _Oh, I missed that feeling,_ she thought as she reflexively leaned her head against it, and she bit down on her lip slightly as she warily cracked her eyes open. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the bright daylight, but when they did, she was relieved to find that everything was white once more, and there was no trace of the vile redness that had dominated the world before. "There. See? Nothing to be afraid of," he told her gently. She stared up at him with her bottom lip quivering. It was the face of the man she loved, but not like that gaunt, dead one from her nightmares; it was that familiar smile, that soft gaze that put her heart at ease. Without realizing it, she began crying again, but this time from overwhelming relief. "Hey, there's no need to cry. You're safe now," he sighed and pulled her into a hug, and Ayumi buried her face into his chest and clung onto him as he rested his head on top of hers.

"I dreamt you all were dead," she whispered. Even speaking about it was frightening, and her voice shook with the emotion. "All of you, everywhere, and the blood, oh, there was so much of it… All of you were dead, and it was because I couldn't protect you. I was weak, Shikamaru… I _am_ weak."

"You are _not_ weak," he refuted immediately and jerked back to grab her by the chin and make her look up at him. "Don't you _dare_ say that."

"What if you hadn't come along? The boys would be dead, and-" she began, but her words were muffled as he clapped a hand over her mouth.

"But I did," he smiled gently at her, and any objections she still had died in her throat. "Ayumi, it's true. You weren't strong enough to take on the last one, but that doesn't mean you're weak. I mean, you protected those children _by yourself._ Don't you realize how impressive that is?" he asked her, dropping his hand to rest it on her shoulder. As she stared up at him, she began to see reason. Sure, she couldn't beat all five of them, but even then she had done something next to impossible. She had still bought enough time for the rescue squad to arrive, and finished most of the work for them. _I'm… I'm strong after all,_ she realized. Shikamaru smiled gently as he brushed a few strands of hair from her face. "Ayumi, you are the strongest woman I have ever known. Please don't sell yourself short just because of something that _almost_ happened."

"You're right," she sighed deeply and pressed herself against him once more, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She kept quiet for a minute, then released the question burning inside her. "They'll come back, won't they?"

"Yes. Naruto anticipates a full-scale assault on the village… They're a large group, and certainly have the capability," he answered honestly, and she felt his arms tighten around her, as if trying to protect her from the impending doom. "There's been extra watch on the gate and most of the ninja have been called back from missions to prepare, but… I'm not sure how much good it will do. This is going to end one way… Me against him," he murmured. Where there had once been apprehension, there was only hate. _He's willing to stand up to the man he fears most just to protect the people he loves…_

"I want to start training," she blurted, and he glanced down at her in shock. Resolute, Ayumi looked up at him with eyes burning with determination. "Shikamaru, I can't let my nightmare become a reality. I can't just sit around and hope everyone will protect me… I have to take matters into my own hands. I have to be capable of holding my own should the worst happen. I have to take care of my children… I have to take care of Shikadai," she told him firmly. "I'm not afraid of getting my hands bloody anymore… I'm afraid not to." He stared down at her for a minute, then smiled softly and nodded.

"Okay. We'll do it," he agreed, and Ayumi smiled in relief. _I won't let that happen,_ she grumpily told the dream-Shikadai. _I will protect you._

Abruptly, she let out a loud yawn, and discovered how sleepy she was. It seemed nightmare had sapped all her energy, negating the night's sleep. As she lay cradled in Shikamaru's arms, her eyes drooping as she listened to the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat, she sighed happily.

"You'll stay with me, won't you?" she whispered as her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt. She had missed him so much, being held in his arms and hearing the sound of his voice, that she was almost afraid to let him go. She wasn't just asking for this brief moment in time.

Shikamaru knew that.

"Forever. I'll never leave you again," he assured her and kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back soothingly as he held her. Ayumi smiled happily and sniffled into him, glancing out the window to see the bright morning sun pouring in and bathing her in warmth. _Good._

 _I'll never let anyone take you from me again, either,_ she resolved as she closed her eyes and slipped off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


	37. Chapter 36: Ayumi's Training Begins!

Ayumi pursed her lips slightly as she turned this way and that in front of the full-length mirror, unsure quite what to think of her brand-new ninja gear. She was so used to dresses that she almost felt uncomfortable in anything else, and this new outfit was no exception. She had abandoned her flowy sundress and flats for something much more functional- a pair of signature combat boots, a snug-fitting red combat dress with a pair of black shorts underneath with a swoopping neckline that revealed the armored mesh shirt beneath, with a small black jacket that cut off above her midriff. _I look ridiculous,_ she moped and contemplated abandoning the notion altogether.

 _I can't,_ she thought with a small sigh. _I made a promise to grow stronger, and this is what I have to do. I'm just thinking too much._ As her book-filled house suddenly echoed with the sound of someone knocking on the door, she hastily gave herself another once-over before rushing to the front of the house to throw open the door.

"Hi, Miss Ayumi! Wow, you look great!" Shikadai cried in delight as he hopped up onto the threshold of the door to hug her legs happily before pulling back to beam up at her. "Are you ready to train? I am! We're gonna make you so strong, Miss Ayumi!" She laughed at his excitement and leaned down to hug him before glancing up at Shikamaru. His face was pink as he gazed intently at her, and she smiled shyly as she regarded him.

"Well? What do you think?" she asked bashfully, sweeping a few strands of hair behind her ear. He gazed at her for another moment before her inquiry finally reached his ears, and he coughed uncomfortably and straightened up to try and look somewhat dignified.

"L-looks great. Sakura and Ino help you pick it out?" he stammered and gave her a weak smile, and she nodded as she looked down at the new outfit that was strangely growing on her. "It'll do well, then. They wouldn't steer you wrong. Now, are you ready?"

"Mm-hmm!" she confirmed ecstatically, and with that, she exited her household to accompany the esteemed ninja and her ninja pupil to walk down the dirt road towards the nearest training grounds. Ayumi had to admit that it was the perfect day to start her own training- the sky above was charming, filled with a menagerie of fluffy clouds, and despite the fact that autumn was setting in, the air was pleasantly warm, a last-ditch effort by the summer to cling to life. Still, autumn was fighting back with a noticeable wind that swept cooling relief over the trio as they trekked through the village with the sun beaming down on them. Though she had been apprehensive at first, the teacher was more than excited as the road brought them to a small section of forest on the outskirts of her neighborhood. It was not unfamiliar to her; she trained here for the short period that she attended the Academy, and spent many days here poring over history texts while her father conducted his own intense training. She hadn't spent much time here since after his death, as if she subconsciously avoided it. _It's hard to believe that I'm back here now to conduct ninja training, of all things,_ she thought with a mildly amused smirk as they passed into the shade of the small wood. It wasn't long before they came to a small clearing outfitted with three massive logs standing one right next to the other, their once-smooth surface marred by countless scratches from the weapons of aspiring and veteran ninja alike.

"All right, Ayumi. We'll start with some warm-ups. Can't do much of anything if you aren't in shape," Shikamaru smiled before yawning loudly and plopping down among the roots of a sizeable tree.

"Aren't you going to show me?" the confused teacher inquired before Shikadai ran over to her to tug excitedly at her hand, pulling her towards the center of the training clearing.

"Daddy said that _I_ could do the warm-ups! Right, Daddy?" he giggled and looked at the man for confirmation, but Shikamaru had already dozed off to sleep, chin to chest as he snored softly. "Silly Daddy. He's so lazy," the young boy snickered before returning his attention to his delegated task. "Okay!" he cried loudly as he clapped his little hands together. "First, we'll start with push-ups! Gimme one hundred!"

" _One hundred?"_ Ayumi gasped in utter shock, not expecting as nearly as high of a number considering that she was just starting out. Shikadai, however, only grinned widely at her display of obvious abhorrence.

"If you wanna be a strong ninja, Ayumi, you gotta have a strong body! Soon one hundred push-ups will seem like nothing to you! Now come on!" he demanded and stamped his foot, scowling firmly like so many of his teachers did, and with a smile of bemusement Ayumi obediently lowered herself down onto the ground and began to do push-ups with her knees touching the surface of the ground. She cried out in pain as the student sharply kicked her in the side of her leg. "No, no! Not those lady push-ups! _Real_ push-ups!" he commanded, and with a snort she stretched out her legs into the proper position. _Seems like I'm not getting away with anything,_ she thought dryly.

The exercise was easy enough, at first, when she fell into a somewhat steady rhythm. However, after about her tenth one, her arms began to ache terribly and wobble as she struggled to push herself up. Shikadai pranced around her like playful colt, bleating at her to go faster and straighten out her back. _Ugh, this hurts so much- and it's only the first warm-up!_ She whined silently as she spat a piece of her sweaty hair out of her mouth and smacked her lips at the undesirable salty taste. After about thirty minutes of incredible effort, she managed to finish the task and immediately collapsed onto the ground, groaning into the dirt.

"No more," she moaned as the muscles in her arms throbbed painfully. She groaned some more when Shikadai stepped onto her back and dug in his heels.

"No laying about! You took way too long! In no time we'll have you down to one hundred push-ups a minute!" he squealed and tugged at her ponytail in an attempt to revive her. "Get up! It's time for crunches!" He hopped off her with a giggle as she forced herself to roll onto her back, then skittered to hold her feet. "Okay! One hundred crunches! Go!"

"You're going to kill me, Shikadai," she whined, but obediently put her hands behind her head and began pushing up her upper body to reach her raised knees. It took even less time for her core to begin burning like a raging fire, and sweat poured down her face as she panted with the effort. She was dimly aware of Shikamaru, apparently awake, watching her with one eye cracked open and a smile on his face. Somehow that seemed to encourage her a little more, and she managed to finish the crunches in about ten minutes. She flopped back against the cool grass with a strangled groan while Shikadai ran circles around her, screaming happily.

"Ten minutes! Not bad! Next one, next one! We're gonna run, run, run!" he howled with delight, grabbing a stick to repeatedly prod Ayumi until she dragged herself to her feet. She wobbled unsteadily for a moment, already exhausted, before she righted herself and looked down at the energetic lad between lidded eyes. "Okay! One hundred laps around the circle! Go!" he shouted, and all Ayumi could do was whine miserably in protest before she forced her feet to move and she began to jog around the clearing. Shikadai chased her around the clearing with his stick, hitting her in the back or her behind whenever he decided that she was going too slow. After about the fifth hit, she shot a glare at her boyfriend as she passed.

"Aren't you going to do something about this?" she screeched.

"What? I think he's a great teacher," the Jonin mused as he picked up a discarded leaf and waved it at her, and she stuck out her tongue at him before she had to turn back around to make the curve. _These two are having way too much fun watching me struggle,_ she whined in self-pity as she continued to jog, hastening her pace to appease the sadistic little athletic trainer who was scampering after her brandishing his stick. She managed to finish the run in twenty minutes, and once she hit the end of the final lap she ran to the center and flopped down on her back in the grass, her face scrunched up as she fought for every breath.

"I'm dying. It feels like I'm dying," she moped pathetically as she heard the crunching of grass that were Shikamaru's footsteps. She couldn't help but smile as his shadow fell over her, cooling her a little, at it wasn't until he reached down and poked her in the cheek that she cracked her eyes open. He was smiling wickedly, obviously enjoying himself. "I hate you. You let me do this. Why couldn't you have been a better boyfriend and told you that you would just protect me?" she complained playfully as she looked up at him, leaning over her with one foot on either side of her hips and his arms crossed.

"Because I knew this would be amusing," he chuckled before unbuckling a canteen of water from his belt and holding it out to her. As she snatched it from his hands and prepared to guzzle the entire contents, he gave her a pointed look and warned, "That's all I brought, so if you drink it all now that'll be all you get." As he gazed intently down at her, she blushed and took care to only drink enough of the water to satisfy her thirst before handing it back to him.

"I feel like death, and I know I must look like it," she panted with a slight scowl, to which he smirked and tilted his head slightly to the side.

"I think it's kinda hot, actually," he mused. "All sweaty and breathless- what can a guy not find attractive?" She thought he was only kidding with her, but when she looked back up at him with a retort she saw that familiar fire burning in his black eyes that got her all hot and bothered, and shut her mouth right up. He stared down at her with that heat-filled gaze for a while.

"Aren't you going to kiss me?" she asked when he did nothing, quite uncharacteristically for him, and he shrugged while his smirk widened, then leaned down until he was a foot away from her face.

"Sorry. You're gonna have to come to me," he laughed, and she pouted at such mean trickery.

"But I'm so tired!" she whined and grabbed a handful of dead leaves to toss them at the side of his head, to which he only laughed and pulled the few that clung to his hair.

"Well, then, I guess you don't want to be kissed, because that's the deal!" he teased and put his hands on his hips. "So? What'll it be? It's a workout for me to stand like this, you know. My back isn't what it used to be," he joked, and she rolled her eyes at him before flopping her head back into the soft grass.

"Now I see where Shikadai gets it from," she grumbled, then huffed as she pulled up her arm to prop herself up on her elbows and began lifting her upper body. Her arm and abdomen muscles screamed at her in protest, but she endured the pain to lift herself up far enough to where her lips could meet Shikamaru's. As soon as they did, she decided that was ample enough reward for such a rigorous exercise, because all the pain and ache melted away at the sugary-sweet taste of his mouth that she adored so much. She pushed her mouth against his, begging for him to kiss her deeper, but to her frustration he hastily jerked back and grinned stupidly down at her. "Shikamaru!" she whined and flopped back down, kicking her legs slightly in a temper tantrum.

"Come on, now. I have to save something to keep you motivated, don't I?" he teased with a wink before grabbing her by the hand and pulling on her arm. "Get up. We still have work to do." Pouting, she just let him tug at her arm a minute or so before sighing in exasperation and using his weight to pull herself to her feet. Shikadai was sitting on top of one of the logs, munching on a bag of chips, but he grinned happily and tossed them aside when he realized that the training was to resume.

"Hooray! Let's go, Miss Ayumi~!" he squealed and hopped down from his perch.

"Both of you are slave drivers and are not my favorite people right now," Ayumin huffed in response, but couldn't help but smile as the little boy ran over to affectionately hug her legs, as was his custom.

They worked her throughout the afternoon. After the completion of her warm-ups, Shikamaru decided it was time for him to take over, and ran her through the basic exercises of ninja fighting. Though she was severely out of shape, many of the basics had stuck with Ayumi throughout the years, and so she fared much better in this section of her training. He ran her through shuriken- and kunai-throwing exercises, which she performed adequately; her aim was average, but her throws lacked the power needed for a true maiming blow, as most of her weapons didn't even have enough force to embed themselves into the wood and her technique was below average at best. After grilling her through that for an hour, they moved on to hand-to-hand combat. She used the wood as a practice dummy for punches and kicks, and after a little while of that she was certain that her hands and shins were bruised from the forceful contact with the thick wood, and as before, they had barely enough force to do much of any damage. The final trial was a spar session with Shikamaru, and even though he took it quite easy on her, she ended up a heap in the dirt after less than a minute every time.

"Are we done now?" she groaned after her last graceless fall, sprawled out with her legs and arms splayed in all directions as she panted heavily with her hair slicked to her forehead. Shikamaru stood beside her with an amused smirk, one hand on his hip and the other lazily resting at his side with a kunai. He spun the weapon around his finger before securely tucking it in the pouch at his side, then squatted down beside her and ran his fingers through her messy hair. No doubt that the amount of sweat there was disgusting, but he continued to soothingly do so, making Ayumi smile tiredly. "That feels nice."

"You worked hard," he commented.

"I'm terrible," she answered pitifully in response. Truly, it was a wonder to her how she lived at all during the kidnapping experience, much less how she took down four ninja and held her own against a fifth considering her lackluster performance today. _I guess there is truth to the idea that adrenaline can make you do superhuman feats,_ she reasoned with a small sigh.

"You'll get better," he promised. "You have potential. That's more than some people have," he told her, then smiled slightly. "You know, Naruto was a lot worse than you when he was first starting out, and look where he is now."

"You're just saying that," she huffed, but was admittedly intrigued.

"No, really! He couldn't throw a shuriken to save his life, and his ninjutsu was laughable. But, he worked hard every day to make up for his shortcomings, and in the end he became one of the most legendary ninja of all time," he chuckled before leaning down to pull Ayumi onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he tucked his arms under her legs, and she smiled as he looked back at her with an endearing look. "You'll get there, in time. You just have to work hard. Just like teaching, yeah?"

"Yeah," she giggled and rested her head against his with a yawn. "But first, a long nap!"

"I second that," Shikamaru laughed and beckoned for his son to follow before setting off down the road carrying the exhausted teacher. Ayumi glanced over her shoulder at the trio of logs, filled with more scratches than before and smeared with her sweat and even a little of her blood.

 _I'll work harder than I ever have before,_ she promised before looking down at Shikadai, who was tottering alongside his father and chattering excitedly about his own progress in the Academy. _Because I have things that I need to protect now._ She held up a hand, flexing it slightly and smiling. _I'm already a little stronger, I think._

 _One step at a time._


	38. Chapter 37: The Calm Before

Shikamaru sighed heavily as he stepped out of the door of the official building where he assisted Naruto with his daily duties, stretching his arms and arching his back to stretch his sore muscles. _Jeez… Work, work, work… Always such a drag,_ he whined silently as he cracked his eyes open and glanced down the road into the village. It was the late afternoon, and the sky was beginning to glow golden as the sun drifted closer to the horizon. Along the street, the civilians and ninja alike strolled along conducting their business among the many buildings slowly turning gold with the setting sun. The fading sunlight reflected off the still colorful leaves, making the street almost seem to glow. The air was crisp and cool with the autumn breeze, ruffling his clothes as he stood there admiring the view. _It's peaceful… But how long will it last?_ He wondered with a forlorn sigh as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began the trek home.

 _It's been over a month since Ayumi's kidnapping… I really thought they would have made their move by now. The entire village seems like it's holding its breath, waiting for the moment that the storm hits us at last…_ That's exactly what it was, the calm before the storm, but he had never expected it to be so long. _What could he be waiting for?_ He wondered, and the fact that he had no answers unsettled him deeply. _We're prepared, but_ _ **how**_ _prepared are we? At the end of the day, when it all goes down, will we truly be ready?_

He didn't know.

When he finally pulled his mind from the dismal thoughts, he found that his feet had carried him the opposite way from home.

"Jeez, since I wasn't paying attention, I ended up making my trip even longer. What a drag," he groaned as he looked around with a scowl. His eyes landed on a familiar brightly colored building, and a smile slowly crept over the dissatisfied look on his face. "Well, since I'm here…" he mused with a smirk before he crossed the street and walked into Yamanaka Flowers. The little bell tinkled happily to signal his arrival into the shop, and it wasn't long after when he heard the furious shuffling of Ino's feet from the back of the store.

"I'll be right wi- Oh! Hello, Shikamaru!" she cried brightly as she turned the corner. Wiping her soil-covered hands off on her gardening apron, she approached him with a wide smile. "Here to get some flowers for Ayumi?" she asked knowingly, causing his cheeks to grow slightly hot from embarrassment. "Not to worry!" she chimed without waiting for an answer and spun on her heels, her long ponytail of blonde hair nearly striking him in the face with the dramatic whirl. His eyes slightly wide from the near-blow, he followed the cheerful gardener down the aisles to the bouquets of flowers displayed along one wall. After pausing and pondering her wares for a moment, she grinned and grabbed a particular arrangement before turning and holding it out to him confidently. "This one!"

"Are you sure? Shouldn't I get her, like, roses or something?" he frowned down at the definitely-not-roses in doubt. He grimaced as she abruptly shoved her finger in his face with a mad expression.

"Excuse me, but _who_ is the florist here? Really, Shikamaru, it's a wonder that you were able to woo any woman," she huffed and rolled her eyes before straightening up with a smile. "Now, take that on to Ayumi. As payment, I just want you to keep being your happy self," she grinned. When he raised his eyebrows in confusion, she giggled loudly. "Seriously, Shikamaru, you are one dumb smart person. Everyone can see that you've the happiest you've ever been with Ayumi!" she teased. When she spelled it out for him, he supposed that it _was_ pretty true. _I feel better than I have in a long time… Even with the threat of that psychopath over my head, I still feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders… Is it really because of her?_ He wondered with a glance down at the flowers in his hands. As he did, he could not keep from thinking of her, her in all her beauty and kindness, and that brought a smile to his face- that Ino immediately noticed. "Now get outta here!" she laughed and shoved him slightly. "She should be heading to your house with Shikadai soon, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm leaving," he chuckled as he turned around and briskly headed out the door, the bell jingling behind him as he strolled down the street with the flowers in his hand. Though his head was filled with thoughts of his beloved teacher, he managed to find his way home without getting lost again.

He reached up with a hand as he walked inside to crack his neck, the soreness in his muscles having settled back in. "Man, I'm tired," he yawned as he shuffled over to the couch and set the bouquet of flowers on the coffee table before unceremoniously flopping face-first into the cushiony furniture. _I just wanna rest my eyes for a second…_ he thought as he rolled onto his back with a small sigh, tucking his arm under the back of his head as his eyes drifted shut. The exhaustion from a hard day's work had quickly caught up to him, and within minutes he could feel himself drifting off to sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, he was lying in the grass with a sky of green leaves above him, with shards of sunlight streaming through the gaps to bathe him in soft golden light. The grass was soft beneath his fingers as he curled them, digging up the rich soil. To the normal person, it would be a serene, calming atmosphere, but all he felt was the cold feeling of dread seeping into every cell of his body.

He had been here too many times; he knew that it would end badly.

The question was _how._

Not having much choice, he forced himself into a sitting position and looked around with mild apprehension. Though normally his dreams were stained with blood, the scene around him looked pristine and pure, no different than the forests of his home that he was so used to. That was more unsettling than the normal stock of gruesome battlegrounds filled with bloody carnage. Unsure of what he would find, he rose to his feet. Off to the side was a small path, and since it was his only course of action, he allowed his feet to carry him into the dark of the woods.

As he strode deeper into the forest, his apprehension grew exponentially. By now, something should have gone wrong; he should have seen _something,_ but it was just the green all around him, with the birds twittering in the trees. The peace scared him more than the chaos. "Man, isn't that twisted," he smiled sarcastically as he realized how messed up in the head he was. He stopped on the path with a deep sigh, squatting down and assuming his signature thinking position. Really, he wasn't thinking; the familiar gesture calmed him slightly and cleared his mind clouded by fear and doubt.

 _I have nothing to be afraid of,_ he told himself firmly. Somehow that shook him to his core, and he fell back on his behind on the path as he suddenly began to shake. "Whoa…" he muttered as he held up his quivering hands. "You have nothing to be afraid of," he reminded himself aloud, closing his eyes tight. _**You**_ _are in control of the situation now. Not him. It's not going to be like last time,_ he swore. He opened his eyes again, drinking in the emerald landscape all around him, the birds singing cheerfully among the leaves, the pervading aura of _peace._

"This is the future I want," he whispered, and he felt a tear roll down his cheek when he discovered that he had never, ever wanted something so badly.

Suddenly he was awake, and he wasn't staring out into the quiet woods but rather the stiff ceiling of his home. The room had grown quite dark, indicating that he had been asleep for quite some time. With a long groan, he reached up to rub the back of his neck, disappointed to learn that he was still achy. _I'm just getting old. What a drag_. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed that he was bathed in light, and he turned to look over his shoulder and noticed that the kitchen light was on, and that the house carried the aroma of simmering vegetables and cooking meat. He glanced over at the coffee table, noticing that the bouquet of flowers was absent. Then, a shadow fell over him, and he looked back over the arm of the couch to see Ayumi standing in the entryway between the kitchen and the living room.

"I thought it better to let you sleep," she told him softly as she walked across the room to stand over him. "I figured you must have worked pretty hard to fall asleep as soon as you got home," she added with a small smile while she leaned down over him. To him, she was upside-down, but honestly he didn't want to move. _She's as beautiful as ever,_ he thought as he admired the way the light played over her hair, spilling gold across the brown locks. "You were mumbling in your sleep. Did you have a nightmare?" she asked worriedly.

"No. Not a nightmare," he answered quickly to put her fears to rest. "I'm not sure what to call it, really. Just a dream, I guess," he sighed and scratched the side of his head as he pondered the nature of his subconscious. "It really doesn't feel like I've been asleep that long."

"You were out for hours," Ayumi giggled. "You were fast asleep when I brought Shikadai home, so I figured I would stay for a while. When it looked like you weren't going to wake up for a long time I decided to make dinner. It's just a shame you couldn't give me those flowers in person. They're lovely," she smiled brightly and gestured into the dining room, where he spotted the flowers sitting in a vase. He sniffed in slight disappointment before reaching up to cup her cheek in his hand, causing her to turn her attention back to him. "I hear that you've been stressed lately. Peace weighs heavily on the minds of those who expect war." _Leave it to Ayumi to see right through me,_ he thought wryly.

"I know he's coming. I just wish he would already," he sighed heavily and glanced down the hallway toward the direction of his son's bedroom. "I can't stand the waiting. I just want to end this. For him," he murmured, and his gaze flicked back to her. "For you."

"I know," told him and reached up to place her hand over his own. "And you will. When the time comes, I know you'll be ready. We can't be any more prepared than we already are. When he decides to make his move, he'll find that he may have bitten off a little more than he can chew," she reassured him and rubbed his hand gently with her thumb. He let her soothing touch ease him for a minute, before he slid his hand to the back of her head and gently pulled it towards him. Her chestnut hair fell across his face as he tilted his head back, catching her lips with his own to kiss her softly. Though they were in completely opposite directions, Shikamaru still thought that their lips moved nicely together, fitting together like the perfect lock and key. _I should pull a move like this more often._

He was a bit disappointed when Ayumi pulled back, a twinkle in her eye as she smiled down at him. "Don't want to let the food burn, now do I?" she teased and tapped him on the nose as she turned around with a giggle and headed back into the kitchen. He watched her as she went, captivated by the way her hips moved and the way her hair swayed back and forth with every step. He stared at the empty entranceway where she had vanished into the other room for a few moments, lamenting her leaving, before he finally forced himself to sit up and stretch his arms above his head, groaning all the while. _I really hate sitting at a desk all day…_ he thought in distaste as he scrunched up his face. He cracked an eye open when he heard the pitter-patter of small feet approaching, just in time for Shikadai to come careening around the corner and launch himself into the air.

"Daddyyyy!" he squealed with delight as he sailed through the open air, and the Jonin hastily reached out to catch him as he threatened to crash right into the coffee table.

"Whoa, there. You had better watch out!" he laughed as he pulled his son to the safety of the cushiony couch.

"Hey, Dad! You're so lazy, sleeping like that. You're lucky Miss Ayumi is so nice, because I said we should wake you up and she said that we should let you sleep because you must have had a hard day at work, but that's silly, because you don't work hard!" The young boy babbled happily and bounced up and down on the soft furniture. At the obvious insults, Shikamaru scowled and grabbed him by the middle, pulling him close to roughly tickle him.

"I don't work hard, huh? Yeah, right! You little brat! I'll show you for talking that way about me!" he playfully scolded as Shikadai laughed uncontrollably and squirmed in his arms, swatting with his hands to try and stave off the assault.

"No! Dad! Ahahahaha! Stop! Haha! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he shrieked with tears pouring out of his eyes from how hard he was laughing, and after a minute more, Shikamaru conceded and allowed the five-year-old to clamber away, still holding his tiny tummy as he giggled and wiped at his eyes. It was at this point that Ayumi cheerfully called them from the kitchen. While his son was distracted, he grabbed him by the foot to jerk him back over. "No! Not again! Pleaaaaaase!" he howled, already laughing, but rather than punish him with more tickling, the father grinned and hefted the boy onto his shoulders.

"Man, now I'm hungry," he sighed as he stood up from the couch, his son snickering as he swayed precariously on his broad shoulders. "Let's go see what Miss Ayumi has cooked up, huh?"

"Yeah! I betcha it's waaaaay better than your food!" Shikadai laughed down at him.

"Hey, watch it. I'll tickle you again," Shikamaru warned with a warm smile, holding onto the boy's legs as he made his way into the kitchen where Ayumi was waiting.

 _I don't know when the time will come, but when it does, I'll be ready._

 _I have everything to protect now- my village, my friends, my son._

 _Ayumi._

 _My family._

 _I_ _ **will**_ _protect my family this time…_

 _This time,_ _ **I won't lose.**_


	39. Chapter 38: Love

Ayumi exhaled deeply as she sank into the cushiony fabric of her couch, groaning as her sore muscles loudly voiced their opposition to her moving. She huffed as she swept her sweat-slicked hair from her forehead, breathing hard as she recovered from a long day of training. Still, she did notice that she had more muscle definition in her arms and legs, and she didn't feel quite as tired as she had in the beginning of her training. _I'm getting stronger,_ she smiled brightly as she lifted a hand and flexed her fingers, watching the muscles tense in her arm. Giddy at the positive results, she squealed happily and threw her arms in the air, and immediately regretted it as all her muscles twinged at once.

"Okay, Ayumi. Take it easy before you hurt yourself," she sighed before rising to her feet to walk towards her bathroom. She had trained alone today since Shikamaru was busy, but they had agreed to meet at his home for dinner; naturally, she couldn't show up sweaty and gross, so a shower was a must. The hot water washing all the sweat and grime from her body felt exceptionally good, and the heat relaxed her stiff muscles. By the time she had finished and changed, she felt completely refreshed, and was practically skipping as she headed out of the house and down the road to her boyfriend's home. By the time she got there, he had returned from work with Shikadai in tow.

"Miss Ayumi!" the little boy shouted as she entered the residence, and as she turned around to greet him he came running across the entryway to fling himself at her. She laughed happily as she caught him under the arms to lift him up, spinning him around before dropping him down to hug him tightly. "Whoa, Miss Ayumi! Look at your muscles!" he exclaimed as he prodded her with eyes wide with awe, making her giggle as she carried him into the kitchen.

"That's right! I've been working hard!" she smiled and flexed her arm with a grin before setting him down on the tiled floor. He immediately ran over to his father to cling to his leg, standing on his tip toes in an effort to examine what the man was cooking on the stove. The Jonin smiled warmly at her as she approached, leaning forward to kiss her lightly on the lips, to which Shikadai responded with a disgusted whine and hastily ran off to go play lest he be forced to witness more of the adults' romantic endeavors and sweet nothings. This made his father chuckle, but since his child had left he took the opportunity to grab Ayumi by the hips and pull her in for a deeper, more passionate kiss. "You're gonna burn the food!" she laughed when she managed to break away from him, and he smirked at her before turning back to the pot he was stirring.

"Can't help myself," he mused. "You got here just in time. I'm almost finished," he told her as he placed a lid on the pot and wiped his hands off on his pants. "So you're training went well today?"

"Oh, yes! I'm really starting to see and feel the results. If I keep it up, I might even be better than you one of these days," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him; he just smiled and rolled his eyes, shoving her lightly in the shoulder as he walked by.

"Yeah, you keep thinking that," he chuckled as he walked over to the cabinet to retrieve three plates, and Ayumi, familiar with the layout of his kitchen by now, decided to assist and pulled out cups and some chopsticks. They continue to poke and shove each other playfully as they maneuvered about, and by the time Shikadai wandered back in they were slapping at each other like a couple of little girls in a catfight. "Leave me alone, woman!" he laughed as he grabbed her by the wrists and pinned them to her sides, silencing her opposition by once more stealing a kiss from her. Shikadai groaned as he climbed into one of the chairs situated around the kitchen table, thoroughly irritated by his father's flirtatiousness.

"Daddy! That's gross!" he whined. Shikamaru chuckled but obediently pulled away from Ayumi, turning back to fix his son a plate and carry it over.

"You think that now, but you'll find a girlfriend one day and feel the same way," he mused. Shikadai, his mouth already full off food, frowned deeply and shook his head emphatically.

"No way! Girls are gross and annoying! There's no way!" he shouted after swallowing his food, and then he realized quite what he had implied and smiled sheepishly at his teacher. "Of course, I don't think you're that way, Miss Ayumi…" he corrected shyly.

"I'm not insulted," she laughed, and at that reassurance the boy returned to shoveling food into his mouth with gusto. The two adults joined the little boy at the kitchen table, laughing happily at the various topics of conversation that the little boy's overactive imagination produced. Even long after they had finished eating, they sat there chatting amiably until the sun had sunk below the horizon and the moonlight was streaming in through the window. "Wow, it's pretty late," Ayumi noticed when she finally glanced at the clock to find that it was well past eight o'clock. While she set to cleaning up the kitchen, Shikamaru attempted to wrangle his son into the bath, which resulted in a very comical house chase in which a half-naked Shikadai stormed around while his very flustered father tried to get ahold of him. In the end, it took both Shikamaru and Ayumi together to catch the little rascal and plop him down in the tub, and after complaining for a few minutes he became too occupied with a rubber duck to whine.

"Where does he get all that energy?" Shikamaru sighed as he flopped down on the couch, rubbing his temples while keeping an eye on his son splashing around gleefully in the other room. Ayumi giggled as she eased herself down beside him, sweeping her brunette locks over her shoulders as she smiled brightly at him. The warm smile he shot her made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but before she could act on anything he suddenly leaned down and procured a box from underneath the couch. "I have something for you, Ayumi," he told her and handed over the box. It was simple, not even wrapped, but Ayumi still stared at him in shock, not having expected any sort of present. "It's to celebrate how well your training is going," he explained as she pulled the box onto her lap and gently lifted the lid to peer inside. Inside, resting in some soft, plush cloth, were a pair of sleek knuckle blades.

"What _are_ these?" she asked as she pulled one out, curling her fingers into the slot and looking over the shiny surface, so polished that she could see her reflection in the metal.

"They belonged to my sensei, Asuma," he explained quietly, causing her to look up in surprise. His gaze was trained on the pair of weapons, a sad smile on his lips. "I inherited them from him. I've kept them ever since he died… Now, I want you to have them. To protect you," he told her as his eyes flicked up to meet hers, and she was so overwhelmed with gratitude that tears filled her eyes. As she looked down at the blades, they rolled down her cheeks and splashed against the smooth metal. _He would give me something that is so important to him…_ she thought before placing them back into the box and wiping her eyes.

"Thank you, Shikamaru," she smiled brightly once she had gotten herself together. "I'll take good care of them."

"I hope you never have to use them," he sighed gently as he reached up to gently cup her cheek with his hand. His thumb softly wiped her tears away, sweeping across her soft skin in rhythmic lines. She could see in his eyes that he was worried about her. _These men will come soon, and when they do, they'll probably come for me. Shikamaru doesn't know if he can protect me, and so this is his way of telling me that he trusts me to protect myself until he can get there- and that he trusts me enough to take care of Shikadai if he fails,_ she thought, and the sentiment warmed her greatly. _I love this man._ She was feeling emotion so strong that she felt as if her heart itself was trembling, and she struggled not to begin crying again. _I have to be strong so he can be strong._ As she struggled with her roiling feelings, Shikamaru just continued to lightly caress her, until, as if they were drawn by unseen magnets, their lips found each other. Ayumi's eyes drifted shut as she savored the wonderful feeling of his mouth against her own. She had felt it so many times, but yet it never seemed to grow any less sweet, any less breathtaking. His other hand moved to her face, tilting her head as he kissed her more deeply, and Ayumi felt like her chest was going to burst with the force of the love that she was experiencing.

 _I love him, completely, utterly, wholly. I love him so deeply that I can hardly stand it._ In her heart, Ayumi knew that she could never love anyone more; Shikamaru had her heart, forever and always.

"Whoa!" came a sudden cry followed by a crash and the sound of vigorously splashing water, and the two split apart to scramble off the couch and run to the bathroom where Shikadai was splashing around in the tub, screeching as the showerhead which he had apparently climbed up to mess with sprayed him and the entire bathroom with a torrent of water. Shikadai soon found it funny, giggling as the two adults attempted to turn off the defective showerhead while slipping and sliding over the water-soaked floor. Ayumi cried out as Shikamari slipped and went face-first into the bathtub, then began laughing heartily as he surfaced, drenched from head to toe and spitting soapy water out of his mouth. As she giggled uncontrollably, she was not aware of him smirking and reaching out for her until he wrapped his hand around her wrist and forcibly yanked her into the water. The tub was not equipped to hold such a capacity, and water sloshed over the edge and spilled onto the already wet floor while Ayumi struggled to right herself in the small tub. Shikamaru grinned stupidly at her, holding her by the waist, while she spat locks of her hair out of her mouth. It went silent for a minute, and then they all started laughing happily all over again.

After climbing out of the tub and cleaning up the mess, they got Shikadai into his pajamas while the adults changed into dry clothes. Since she had brought nothing over, Ayumi was forced to borrow some of Shikamaru's; despite the fact that they were several sizes too big, she felt comfortable in them, like he himself had enveloped her into an embrace. The hour had ticked closer to ten, and at last all of Shikdai's seemingly boundless energy had evaporated. He sat between them on the couch, a mug of hot chocolate half-drunken in his hands, but his eyes were slowly drooping and his head was bobbing continuously as he struggled to remain awake. With one loud yawn, he finally allowed it to take him, flopping over into Ayumi's lap with contented sigh. Smiling softly, she gently pulled the mug from his hands and set it on the coffee table before gazing down at him for a while, softly stroking the side of his head.

"I love him, Shikamaru," she whispered suddenly. The man glances over at her in mild surprise at the sudden outburst, in the middle of drinking his own drink, before his pursed lips curled into a smile and he lowered the ceramic cup. "I love him like he's my own child. I love him more than the world…" As she talked, the little boy murmured something and wriggled fully into her lap, his tiny, chubby fingers curling into the soft fabric of her clothes. "I won't let anything happen to him, Shikamaru. I promise."

"I know," he smiled, and she felt his arm slide around her and his hand curl around her shoulder, gently caressing her with his thumb. He stared down at his sleeping son for a moment, then exhaled deeply. "I suppose we should get him to bed," he decided, and without further conversation Ayumi leaned over to pull his son into her arms and rise from the couch. It was a simple thing, really, and normally one would think nothing of it, but to Ayumi it was the mot wonderful thing in the world. Her heart swelled with love and joy as his head rested against her shoulder and his little hands clung onto her, and the sound of his peaceful breathing was like a song. _He_ _ **is**_ _my own,_ she thought as she followed Shikamaru down the hall to the young child's bedroom. He pulled back the covers while Ayumi tenderly lowered the five-year-old into the bed, and she could not keep the bright smile from forming on her lips as she tucked him in. He breathed in deeply as he shifted slightly, one hand up by his head while the other clutched the warm comforter. _Is this how Temari felt every night?_ She wondered as she remained there for a moment, watching him sleep. _She didn't just give her life for the village… She knew, in her heart, that if that man was allowed to do what he wanted that Shikadai would be in danger. She died for him,_ she realized, then looked up at Shikamaru, who was leaning in the doorframe with a small smile. _She died for_ _ **them.**_

To Ayumi, there was no better cause to die for.

 _It's my turn now. I'll protect them, Temari,_ she promised and glanced out the window, out into the night sky where the stars glimmered against the inky black. She almost felt like Temari smiled back at her. No, she _knew_ that she was smiling back at her. After gazing at the child for a moment longer, she turned back and walked out of the room. Shikamaru quietly shut the door and followed after her. "Are you leaving?" he asked her as she bent down over the coffee table to begin retrieving her things. It surprised her, as she figured it would be common sense that she would depart since it was such a late hour.

"Yes," she replied without looking back at him. "It's late, and I have to teach tomorrow. I should be going." She lingered for a moment, standing there pretending to be sorting her things, as she expected Shikamaru to request to walk her home.

Instead, he did something she never would have expected.

She gasped as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her from behind, winding them around her waist and pulling her back against him.

"Stay," he breathed into her ear, and the pleading, the desire that was thick in his voice made a shudder travel up her spine and her breath catch in her throat. It was like he had sent an electric pulse through her body, leaving her trembling and frozen in its wake. "Stay with me tonight," he asked her once more with the same deep, purring voice, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke. His lips traveled downward, planting soft kisses down her neck, coming to a stop at her shoulder. Ayumi had known this day would come, and she had thought she would welcome it, but no matter how much she had anticipated it, she felt apprehension free rising up inside of her. With trembling hands, she reached up to enclose her hands around his, almost scared to look back at him. He didn't give her much choice, however; he took one of his hands and tilted her face so that she was looking back at him, and once their eyes met, Ayumi knew there was no turning back.

A smirk danced on his lips as he gazed up at her with a fiery passion in his eyes that she had never seen, burning bright in the dark depths and sensed a similar fire sparking in Ayumi's body. Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed with the need to have him, and the force of that feeling made her legs weak. Almost unconsciously, she leaned forward to accept the kiss he was offering, and as their lips met the fire that was burning inside of her exploded into a fierce inferno. She kissed him with a ginger that eclipsed everything before; it was like she would _die_ without him, she needed him to desperately. She turned her body to face him fully, cupping his face in her hands as he fell on her with an equally intense desire. Their tongues swirled together with feverish passion, stealing her breath away, and under the force of such fierce love Ayumi was powerless. Her legs buckled beneath her, but Shikamaru held her up by her hips, refusing to let her go for even an instant; then, in one swift movement, he lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his middle, still kissing her intensely as he carried her to his bedroom and kicked the door shut behind them.

After, he held her in his arms as they breathed heavily, running his fingers through her chestnut locks as the moonlight bathed them in its pure white light. They just gazed into each others eyes, but in the silence all the words left unspoken passed between them with utter clarity. "I love you," she breathed when she had found her voice at last.

"I love you too," he answered with a sweet smile, pulling her close to him to bury his face into her hair. "You smell like daffodils," he sighed in contentment, breathing in deeply as he held her close. She could feel his heart beating against hers, racing with exertion and exhilaration, slowly quieting as he came down from the high. Wrapped in his arms, Ayumi felt safe, protected, and most importantly, _loved._

 _I love you…_ she thought as she began to drift off, lulled to sleep by the sound of his heartbeat and rhythmic breathing, and the feeling of his fingers continuously running through her hair. _I love you so much._ She could never tell him enough.

But, she didn't have to tell him.

He knew.


	40. Chapter 39: The Beginning of the End

Shikamaru exhaled deeply as he slowly rose into consciousness, the morning sun falling across his face drawing him out of a peaceful sleep. He went to bring a hand to his face and rub his eyes, but found that a considerable weight was preventing him from doing so. Groaning slightly as he forced his eyes open and blinked repeatedly to allow them to adjust to the glaring sunlight, he slowly turned his head to investigate what was restricting his movement. When his gaze fell across his outstretched arm, a smile illuminated his still-drowsy face.

Ayumi breathe softly and quietly, her side rising and falling in a gentle rhythm beneath the thick comforter. A small swathe of her luscious brown locks had fallen over her face, and her lips were slightly parted, giving her an almost childlike appearance. His shifting had not awoken her, so she slept peacefully on, snuggled against him with her head nestled in the crook of his arm. He watched her for a while, appreciating the way the sun fell across her bare skin as she dozed peacefully, before he knew he had to awaken her. Gently, he brushed his hand over her cheek, sweeping away the errant strands of hair to expose her beautiful face. At his gentle touch, her lashed fluttered open and her hazel eyes flashed up at him, at first unfocused, and then recognition blossomed in the brown depths and her face illuminated with love and happiness.

"Good morning," she murmured and pressed closer to him, reaching up to place a hand over his chest, right where his heart was frantically beating. Just looking at her in all her soft beauty and grace made him flustered; he simply couldn't believe how _lucky_ he was to have stumbled across someone as loving and kind as she was. She stared expectantly up at him as he attempted to formulate some kind of coherent sentence, but his mind was still bent on her, everything she was.

"Hey," he mumbled stupidly after a few minutes, then blushed when he realized how dumb he sounded. Ayumi giggled as she smiled warmly up at him; that did very little to clear the fog clouding his mind.

After he managed to get into a solid state of mind, he let Ayumi use the shower while he attempted to rouse his son from sleep. Yawning loudly as he shuffled down the hall in nothing but a pair of pajama pants, he rubbed his eyes slightly as he quietly opened the door to his little boy's bedroom and walked over to his bed to gently shake his shoulder. "Shikadai. It's time to wake up. You have school today," he told him softly as he knelt down beside the small bed.

"Five more minutes," the little boy groaned without opening his eyes, tiredly swatting at his father's hand before mumbling something incomprehensible and rolling onto his side. This was a normal thing- Shikadai really had taken too much after him- so Shikamaru was forced to resort to more extreme tactics. Shikadai squealed as his father abruptly began to tickle him roughly under the arms, and could not help but laugh hysterically and wriggle around in an attempt to escape. "Okay! I'm awake! I'm awake! Stop!" he begged between giggles and tears, and the tall ninja obediently relented. His hair sticking up all over the place, Shikadai, still giggling, sat up to hug his father around the neck. "Good morning, Daddy!" he chirped brightly.

Somehow, he managed to get his rambunctious toddler into his school clothes and at the table eating breakfast by the time Ayumi strolled out, in her dress from yesterday and towel-drying her damp hair. She smiled shyly as she caught Shikamaru's gaze, and when Shikdai caught site of her his vote of toast fell out of his mouth. "What are you doing here, Miss Ayumi? Did you and Daddy have a sleepover?" Instantly, both of their faces went bright red.

"Um, yes. We had a sleepover," he responded bluntly. It was a logical explanation for a little boy, after all, and any overreaction would cause him to be unnecessarily curious- likely with unwanted consequences. Shikamaru was not quite ready to give his son "the talk." Thankfully, due to his tactfulness, the boy just shrugged in indifference and resumed stuffing his face with eggs and toast. Ayumi sidled over to him, pulling off the towel to reveal twisted, limp strands of still-drying chestnut locks. He had never seen her so casually before, but even then, he still thought that she was undeniably beautiful. As she approached, he slipped an arm around her waist to pull her up against him, bending down to softly kiss her on the mouth. He just couldn't help himself. She allowed him to do so for a moment, before pulling back and holding up the damp towel to his face.

"I just wanted to know where this went," she mused quietly.

"Oh," he chuckled and took the dirty towel from her, slinging it over his shoulder with a slight smirk. He could see her eyes drifting downward to his bare chest, and he couldn't help but feel a little smug about it. When she noticed the haughty look on his face, she raised an eyebrow out him before snorting and walking over to Shikadai.

"I have to stop by my house to pick up my things. If you're ready soon, Shikadai, you can come with me and we can see how the daffodils are doing!" she told him, and in response he hastily shoveled the rest of his food into his mouth to spring out of the chair and race to his bedroom to get his school things together. Ayumi and Shikamaru both watched him with matching loving smiles, and when he saw that expression on his face, he couldn't help but think, _She'll make a great mother._ The thought surprised him; he hadn't thought that deeply into their relationship yet. After all, they had been together for less than six months, and for the most part they had proceeded slowly. _Do I want to spend the rest of my life with her?_ He wondered as he gazed at her in mild shock.

… _Yes,_ he realized with a tiny smile.

True to her word, as soon as Shikadai came re inning out of his room with his school bag slapping against his leg, Ayumi bid Shikamaru farewell and headed to her home with the small boy in tow, leaving the man to his own devices. It was now time for him to prepare for work. His mind still lingering on the attractive woman, he slapped his cheeks to try and focus himself as he walked down the hall to prepare for his shower. The hot water helped clear his head quite a lot, and by the time he dried offf and changed into his uniform, his mind was in pure work mode. He was sitting on the edge of his bed strapping his ninja pouch to his thigh, already going over his duties for the day in his mind, when the sound of shattering glass ripped him from his thoughts and sent him into instant alert.

He retrieved a kunai from the pouch and edged out of the room, his angular eyes darting around, peering around every corner and investigating every shadow as he slowly crept down the hall. Every once in a while he heard the crunch off boots on glass, indicating that someone had definitely broken into his house and was snooping around. As he approached the living room, he heard muted voices, and he strained to catch snatches of the conversation.

"Hurry up! We don't know whose attention we'll attract!" hissed one.

"I don't know why we're even doing this," another complained. Shikamaru was close enough to see a few shadows bobbing around in the entryway that led to the living room. _Who are they and what do they want?_ He wondered. Silent as a cat stalking its prey, he slid into the darkness, watching intently through the entryway as three men in Jonin gear stood in the middle of his living room, stepping on the broken glass from the window they had busted open. He narrowed his eyes at them; they were no Leaf ninja that he recognized, and they were obviously in disguise; why, though? Before he could puzzle it out, the on that was apparently in the lead stomped over to the mantle of his fireplace, and Shikamaru went deathly pale.

 _No. No, no, no, no!_ He thought in a panic as the ninja snatched Temari's fan off its mount on the wall and strapped it to his back. It was all he had left of her. He had kept it, all this time, to remind himself of her, and they were stealing it. Why? Why would they of all people want it? His mind was frazzled and he couldn't think straight, nor hear what they were saying; he just had to get it _back._ They couldn't have it; he would _die_ before he let them take it. Seeing red, he stormed out of the shadows, slashing angrily at them, but his lack of stealth alerted them to his presence and sent them leaping out the window with what was probably his most precious possession. Shikamaru slid across the shards of broken glass in hasty pursuit, unfeeling as he sliced his palm open on the lingering glass teeth of the busted window while he frantically clambered out of it. Panting, his eyes darted across the street until they landed on the forms of the ninja fleeing across the rooftops.

"Get back here!" he roared furiously. Clamping the kunai down in his teeth, he jumped onto the rooftop and raced after them. His heart was beating so loud that he could hear it in his ears, pumping desperately as fear and raced coursed through his veins. He couldn't lose it, that meant he would lose _her,_ and he couldn't let that happen; he couldn't. He _wouldn't._ His mind was nothing but static noise as his feet pounded across the tiles, nothing but snatches of incoherent thoughts. _Temari. Fan. Must get it back. Can't let them have it. Temari._ _ **Temari.**_ Growling with pure, animalistic rage, he ripped the kunai out of his teeth and pushed himself to run faster, coming within range of the group of ninja. Screeching incomprehensibly, he lashed out at the closest one, slicing his back open and causing him to stumble and fall off the building and crash roughly into a dumpster below. Shikamaru didn't concern himself with him; his eyes were on that fan, and the back which it was strapped too. Fury fueling him like a blazing fire, he ran with all his might, the edges of his vision growing red with rage. He didn't even feel his arm move as he cut down the other one, nor did he hear the screams as he plummeted to the ground. He just heard one thing, and one thing only.

 _Temari._

It was a mantra he repeated in his mind. Even his own heartbeat seemed to mirror the sound as it pumped powerfully in his chest tight with fear. _Te-mari, Te-mari, Te-mari._ No matter how fast he ran, the man dashed just out of range, mocking him, the smooth black finish of the fan catching the sunlight and nearly blinding him further than he already was. _**Temari!**_

Shikamaru wasn't sure how long he chased him. He passed over countless buildings, dashed through several patches of woods, and over the village wall to plunge into the dense forests that surrounded his home, still in pursuit of the mysterious thief. He was panting heavily with exertion, but he could not stop; _he had to get it back at all costs._ Suddenly, the man skidded to a halt in a clearing, apparently tired of running; Shikamaru fell upon him like a hound, and their knives sent sparks through the air as they collided violently. He couldn't think, he couldn't feel, all he knew was murderous rage as he yelled angry words and hacked and slashed at the man. At some point the man lost control of his knife and fell prey to Shikamaru's own, and blood mingled with the red haze clouding his vision.

He wasn't sure what made him stop. Suddenly, he was just standing there, the bloody knife in his hand as he gazed down at the bleeding man who was barely clinging to life. Shikamaru cast the knife aside and bent down to straddle him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "Who are you? Why did you take it? _What do you want from me, dammit?"_ he cried as he shook him roughly. The man coughed violently and smiled up at him, his teeth stained red with thick blood. As he laughed cruelly at him, Shikamaru roughly wrestled the fan off of him and set it to the side before slamming him back down, causing him to groan. "Who are you?" he growled again.

"It's over," he grinned at him, and Shikamaru narrowed his eyes in slight confusion. "You fell for it. You think you're _so_ smart, and you fell for it like a _sucker._ We've won," he hacked, blood spurting out of his mouth as he talked. Slowly, as the rage faded from his mind, the truth became painfully clear. As his blood turned to pure ice, his hands stiffly released the man's collar, and the ninja fell back into the blood-soaked grass. "That's it. Did you get it, smartass? He's coming, and you are going to watch your beloved village crumble to dust- and your whore? She is going to suffer like you have never dreamed." Shikamaru looked down at him, almost dumbfounded at his brazenness, before the rage returned with a fierce fire and he started punching him repeatedly in the face. He heard bones crunching as he pounded him mercilessly and blood splattered him like gruesome raindrops. Even after he had crushed in the man's face and killed him, he just kept going, all the rage and hate fueling his murderous intent. He hated them, all of them, for refusing to let him be and making his life pure and utter hell, he hated _that man_ for existing, and most of all he hated himself for being such a _fool._ He continued punching, over and over, while tears began to stream down his cheeks.

 _I've done it. I've done it. It's over,_ he thought miserably, and then his arm slowly came to a stop, dropping to his side and dripping with blood and brain matter. As he silently cried, wishing to the gods that he had just died alongside her, so none of this suffering would have ever had to happen and he never would have dragged Ayumi into it.

 _Ayumi._

Her name suddenly brought him out of his depressive stupor. Overhead, the air rang with the sounds of explosions in the distance, dull booms that traveled through the peaceful forest.

"Ayumi," he breathed as he looked behind him, to the path that led back to the village. A sudden light flickered in the periphery of his vision, and he turned his head to see the sunlight shining across the edge of the shiny black fan. "No," he growled and stood up, wiping the blood off himself and pulling out a bandaged to bind his hand, where the cut was still bleeding heavily. After that, he leaned down and picked up the fan, strapping it to his back and turning to face the path. As the explosions rocked overhead, sounding like rolling thunder in the distance, he inhaled deeply. "It won't be like last time," he promised himself.

 _I won't let it be like last time,_ he swore before he took off, racing for the village, towards his son and the woman he loved.


	41. Chapter 40: Evacuation!

Shikadai's tongue stuck slightly out of his mouth as he dutifully copied down notes as Ayumi spoke, occasionally glancing up at her to watch as she fervently drew on the chalkboard. Now that he actually listened, he found the subject quite fascinating and wondered why how he had found it so dreadfully boring before. Besides, he almost couldn't help but enjoy it since his lovely teacher always had such a bright smile on her face as she spoke; it was clear that she loved what she did, and it was infectious. It was a normal day, and Shikadai was enjoying himself as normal.

That is, until everything was _not_ normal.

The children in the classroom screamed in alarm as the world suddenly rocked and a deafening roar thundered around them. The entire building quaked so violently that dust rained down from the ceiling, falling into their hair in a fine mist. Instantly panic settled in, and several of them began to wail in fright or just start sobbing altogether, but Shikadai wasn't afraid. He knew that Ayumi would protect them.

"Everyone stay calm!" she barked, wobbling unsteadily as the ground shook slightly with repeated explosions rolling in the distance both near and far. At her commanding tone, the children settled into mild sniffles and whimpers; her face set into a determined frown, she awkwardly made her way to the stairs, holding onto one of the desks as the ground rumbled. "Everyone, listen to me. I need you to stay calm," she ordered, and before she could say anything else the door to the classroom burst open and Shino, who taught the older children next door, came dashing in.

"Ayumi! The village is under attack!" he cried. "The Hokage has issued a full-scale evacuation of the civilians."

"I understand!" she called back, and at the mention of an attack, the frightened children began to wail and cry again. She smiled softly, motherly, but beneath that surface of kindness was a raw determination that reminded Shikadai of the hard expression his father wore when he had a dangerous mission. "Everyone, listen to me. Shino and I are here to protect you. I need you all to be brave. We are going to take you all to the bunkers, and I need all of you to use your ninja training. Don't be scared," she told them firmly, yet gently too. The crying children nodded and hastily dried their tears, and then obediently began to follow protocol and shuffle out of the building. Abruptly, the building rocked once more, and the ceiling began falling down on top of them as armed men burst onto the scene. One landed in front of Ayumi and grabbed her by her beautiful chestnut hair, roughly pinning her arms behind her back as he manhandled her across the classroom towards the exit.

" _Ayumi!"_ Shino shouted in alarm, but as he moved to rush toward her, a handful of the enemy ninja dropped down in front of him to initiate a heated hand-to-hand fight. While the two adults were both occupied, there was no one to defend the young children as more men busted their way into the room. Shikadai gasped as one landed in front of him and caught hold of his arm, and for a moment his heart ceased beating in his chest as terror took hold of him. Then, she caught sight of Ayumi as the man still struggled to drag her out, kicking and screaming violently. _No! I can't be afraid!_ With a shout, he pulled out a kunai and stabbed the man repeatedly in the arm until he let go, and the momentary distraction gave Borutp enough time to jump off his desk and drop-kick him right in the face. The man fell over the desk, rolling down the stairs to land unmoving at the bottom. Shino was still fighting off scores of ninja, bodies piling up all around him while Ayumi was nowhere to be seen.

"It's up to us!" Shikadai cried to his rival, and, back to back, they raised their kunai to face the carnage. The classroom had descended into utter chaos as children ran around the room as the large men chased them, while others cowered under their desks with their hands above their heads, and still others just sobbed in the arms of their captors. Shikadai sprang on the back of the nearest one, who had snatched up Chocho by one of her ponytails. As he cried out in shock at the sudden appearance of the young boy, the chubby girl took the opportunity to elbow him hard in the shin. He fell down, screaming, and Inojin stood on his desk to roundhouse-kick him and send him falling on his side. Shikadai stomped in his face, breaking his nose and leaving him groaning in pain. He kicked him again, and this time he did not make a sound afterward.

"Saradaaaaa!" he heard Boruto yelling, and Shikadai glanced over his shoulder to see the blonde boy rushing after a man who had the young girl tucked under his arm as he made for one of the holes in the ceiling. Shikadai dropped down into a crouch, quickly forming his hand sign. His shadow wavered before shooting out towards the running man, snaking across the steps before merging with the shadow of his enemy. The man instantly froze, his eyes going wide, and Shikadai forced him to gently set Sarada on the ground. She ran crying loudly to Boruto, latching onto him, and he gently comforted her before glaring up at the man. As the boy suddenly kicked him hard in the back of the leg, Shikadai yelped as a sharp pain blossomed in the same spot.

"Hey! Watch it!" he snapped at him in irritation and released the jutsu; in that instant, a swarm of bugs came zooming across the room, enveloping him and sending him tumbling down the stairs like his comrade before. Shino came down the steps, taking them two at a time, and the entrance to the room was blocked by a pile of unconscious and dying men.

"All of you, follow me, quickly!" he demanded as he punched a man who rushed him right in the face, and he crumpled like a ragdoll.

"What about Miss Ayumi?" Shikadai cried, joining the crowd of young children that obediently scurried after the Jonin.

"Ayumi is not my concern. My job is to get you all and my class to the bunkers. Ayumi can take care of herself," he told them, and, as anger flared brightly inside him, Shikadai grabbed hard onto his leg and glared up at him.

"No! We can't leave her behind! You have to help her! She would never leave you if you needed help, so how dare you think to do the same to her!" he snapped, digging his fingers into the man's leg. Shino glanced down at him, and even though his eyes were hidden behind sleek eyewear, the little boy could see the hesitation in his face. "Miss Ayumi needs you, Shino-sensei. She can't do it alone," he urged.

"Please! You have to save her!" Chocho added with tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. As if on cue, the rest of the children began to clamor around him, begging him to save their beloved teacher. Just as it looked as if he would relent, there was a shrill screech, and the body of a large man went sailing through the classroom door to crash into the opposite wall and crumple to a heap. Shikadai looked to the door and smiled.

"See? I told you she could take care of herself," Shino mused. Sure enough, standing in the entrance of the door was none other than the teacher herself, panting heavily with a pair of knuckle blades in her curled fists. One sleeve was torn from her dress and her hair was in disarray, but her eyes were a blazing fire of determination.

"Shino! Your class is already outside. We need to move! It's a bloodbath out there!" she shouted. The man nodded and rushed down to join her, and the children followed quickly. As Shikadai walked out into the courtyard, he immediately felt sick to his stomach with fear. Scores of earth had been torn up, and the swing had been ripped off the oak tree that had stood there for generations; its bark was studded with kunai and shuriken, and all across the grass bodies were strewn, the soil soaking up the rich blood that leaked from their many woods. Among them were a few Leaf ninja. At the bloody sight, a few of the children began to cry once more, and even Shikadai began to tremble with fright. The air sang with explosions and screams and the metallic song of clashing weapons, and the air was choked with smoke from countless fires. _How on Earth can we make it to the bunkers?_ He thought in fright. When he looked up, Ayumi was smiling softly at him. "Everyone, I want you to focus on me, okay?" she told them. "Everybody form a line, and wrap yourselves with this rope, just like we practiced," she ordered, and, still sniffling, the obediently did so. "Shino! Are we ready?" she called to the tall man, and he wordlessly nodded. "Okay. Everyone is still here and accounted for, right? We are all going to be fine. Just follow me. I promise- I won't allow any of you to come to harm. I will give my life to protect you all." The sheer resolution in her face stunned Shikadai into silence, and in that moment, he believed her.

"Let's go!" Shino barked, and, side-by-side, the two classes began the long, dangerous march through the battle zone. Shimadai tried his hardest to keep his eyes on Ayumi's back as they walked, stepping over splintered wood from destroyed buildings and maneuvered around bloody bodies. Occasionally ninja jumped across the rooftops alongside the road, clashing feverishly before carrying their fights elsewhere. Fires raged all around them, flames licking the sky as they hungrily consumed houses and stores with cold indifference. The ground occasionally rumbled beneath their feet from more explosions, causing them to scream and stumble, but each time they faltered Ayumi gently urged them on with a reassuring smile. Shikadai could see that she was scared too, though; he could see the pit of fear in her hazel eyes. Because she was afraid, he could not help but be; trying to keep the tears from filling his eyes, he wrung the rope uneasily in his hands. _I can't be afraid,_ he told himself repeatedly. _Miss Ayumi will protect us. I know she will._ He cast his gaze to the sky, which was gray from thick smoke, but he caught a snatch of the blue sky blazing amongst the dull gray.

 _I wonder where Daddy is right now…_ he wondered.

His gaze snapped back to the Earth as the ground suddenly lurched again, and he tore his gaze from Ayumi to wildly glance around. Shino's group had ended up ahead of them, and he was screaming loudly at Ayumi, but Shikadai could not hear over the loud rumbling. He was frantically pointing, and Shikadai followed his gestures to see that a tall building alongside the road was groaning and falling rapidly towards the second half of the group, where he was standing. He paled as the dark shadow fell over him, and all he could do was stare in horror as the massive structure came barreling towards him.

" _Move!"_ Ayumi screamed as she sliced through the rope in front of him, pushing him backwards while the other group of children ran towards where Shino was waiting with his cluster of students. Though his legs had turned to jelly, he was dragged backwards by the force of the other students fleeing in terror; just as he was dragged out of the looming shadow, the building crashed down in front of him, sending shards of wood and glass shooting at him. He threw up his arms to defend himself, but the expected blows never came; instead, he was wrapped in something soft and warm. He cracked an eye open to see that he had been enveloped in dirt fabric. He raised his head to see Ayumi gently smiling at him, bleeding lightly from a scratch on her cheek where a shard of glass had ripped it open. Eyes wide, he pulled back and looked around to see quite a few splintered pieces of wood and shards of glass embedded into her back and legs, but thankfully it was nothing fatal; still, he knew it was painful. To her credit, she ignored it and pulled back, turning to assess the damage. Their path was completely blocked. "Shino!" she shouted over the wreckage.

"Ayumi?" his voice drifted over. "I'll come over and get you! Hold on!"

"There's no time! I need you to take the children! I'll find a way around!" she called back to him, and there was a period of silence as he contemplated it.

"All right! If you aren't there thirty minutes after I am, I'm coming to find you!" he called before barking at the students to keep moving. Ayumi turned back to the lingering crowd, which only consisted of Shikadai, Inojin, Chocho, Boruto, and Sarada.

"All right, everyone. Stay together. Let's go now," she told them and ushered them along down a side path, cutting quickly through the back alleyways in an attempt to circumnavigate the wreckage. It was not an easy task, as the battle raged on all around them; once they got going on a steady path, suddenly another ruined building would spring up in front of them and force them to find another way around. They delved deeper into the labyrinthine channels of roads that ran through the village, but Ayumi led them on with confidence, her back straight and her shoulder set back. For a moment, a memory surfaced in the back of his mind, and it was not Ayumi that he was watching, but his own mother. She walked with a similar air, he recalled now. It was almost as if, in that time, Ayumi _embodied_ her. He blinked, and the phantasm vanished, and he was looking at the teacher once more. _That was weird…_

Suddenly, she held up her hand to signal them to stop, her head swiveling slightly back and forth while her senses were on high alert. The line of young students halted, watching silently as their teacher sensed that something was wrong; then, suddenly, she whipped around and flung a kunai through the air, so low that it clipped Shikadai's ponytail and sent a few of his hairs fluttering down. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see a man deflect the kunai, sending it skittering across the cobblestone ground. "All of you, behind me!" she commanded, and the children scurried behind her without question. Shikadai gasped as she suddenly whipped put a series of kunai with metal cord tied around it, and she spun about, flinging the kunai in every which direction to plant them into the building walls. The twine was line with explosive paper bombs, forming a barrier between the children and whoever had come to confront Ayumi. Shikadai backed away from the wall, watching as his teacher squared off against the very large silhouette in the entrance of the alleyway. Suddenly he was very afraid, as if he was standing in the presence of pure evil, and his legs became jelly. _Th-this man…_ He could feel the murderous intent radiating from him, and it scared him more than anything had scared him before.

"M-Miss Ayumi," he whimpered, trying to tell her to flee, but the words quailed in his throat. It didn't matter, though. She knew what he meant.

"Don't be afraid, Shikadai," she told him softly before pulling out her knuckle blades, sliding her fingers into the grooves and curling her fists tightly around the handles. She raised her fist, holding them up in an offensive stance as she glared at the dark shadow. "I will protect these children with my life! If you want them, come and get them!" she cried valiantly.

"I'll get to them. Right now, I'm here for you, Ayumi," he grinned broadly at her and pulled out a long ninja sword. He stepped forward, the light falling over his face to reveal a long scar disfiguring his face and electrifying green eyes filled with pure malice. Shikadai fell to his knees, his entire body turning cold. Scratch what he thought earlier- nothing compared to the sheer horror of this. He knew the tales. His father had never told him, but he had overheard conversations, rumors, about the man with the scar who had killed his mother.

This very same man was stalking down the alleyway towards the woman he now though of as one.

"Daddy, I'm so scared," he whispered and squeezed his eyes shut, unable to watch the impending showdown. _Please… Daddy, come quickly…!_


	42. Chapter 41: A Mother's Strength

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Ayumi's face as she nervously eyed the tall, broad man looming at the end of the alleyway. His massive figure blocked the incoming light, casting his form in dark shadows that only seemed to accentuate his menacing presence. Across his face was a deep scar, a fleshy pink crack in a mountain of solid stone. His tanned skin was further darkened by the falling shadows, making him seem like he stepped out of the darkness itself to confront the petite teacher. Faced with the enormous challenge, her courage quailed for a moment, causing her hands to tremble and her feet to shuffle backwards. _This man… This must be…_

"I assume you know who I am." White glimmered against the black as he sneered at her, further aiding to his monstrous visage. _Stay calm, Ayumi. This is the moment you have trained for!_ She reminded herself firmly, holding up the two serrated blades in front of her defensively. Her hands remained steady now. As a cloud passed over the sun, the light glided across the sharp edges before vanishing like a fleeing fairy in the night. _I am strong._ "I've heard that you are quite spirited, but to think that you would glare at me like that… It is quite surprising," he frowned at her. Ayumi did not even realize that her expression had morphed into a hard scowl as she steeled her nerve, but when it was pointed out to her, she realized that a dark anger had begun to bubble in her blood, like it was slowly setting her body aflame.

"You are the cause of so much pain and suffering. You killed Shikamaru's wife. You've kidnapped and terrorized hundreds of women, ripping families apart," she hissed at him, regaining her ground to stand at her original position. "Now you seek to ransack this village, all to make Shikamaru suffer. It's enough to make anyone enraged!" she shouted, the volume of her voice rising with every word. The fury was raging inside her now like a thrashing tiger, making her muscles tense with the urge to RIP her chakra blades through his body and put an end to his tyranny once and for all. Though she must have looked terrifying, the large man merely cackled in amusement.

"Spirited indeed. I'll have to break that before I even think of selling you off," he purred and drew his tongue across the edge of his ninja blade, as if fantasizing how her blood would taste against the cold steel. Before Ayumi could even think of a stunning retort, he vanished with a flash, materializing in front of her and swinging the blade down with enormous power. Thankfully Ayumi's reflexes had become quite heightened, because without even realizing what was happening she had already thrown up her arms to block the oncoming sword. The force of the blow sent her down to one knee, and even cracked the concrete beneath her; her arms shook violently as the sword pushed down on the interlocked chakra blades that were the only shield between her and the unforgiving edge of the sword. "For a woman who is not a ninja, you certainly react fast," he praised her before leaping back, placing some distance between himself and the teacher lest she attempt to counterattack. Ayumi stood, her arm muscles already aching from bearing the weight of the tremendous blow, but she ignored the pain and once more raised her blades.

This time, she did not give him the chance to attack first.

Dust flew in her wake as she shot across the stone, zipping down the alleyway to appear like a phantom behind him. Her blades sliced the air in two, ringing with delight as they were presented with the promise of tearing flesh, but despite Ayumi's sheer speed the man was able to whip around and block her attack. She kept on the offensive, dropping down into a crouch to attempt to knock his legs out from under him, but he jumped to avoid it; falling back on a hand to steady herself, she launched herself into a backhand spring, taking advantage of his defenselessness to drive her foot savagely into his chin. Blood spurted from his mouth as his head snapped back with a sickening _crack,_ while Ayumi flipped a few times and somersaulted in the air to land squarely in front of the barrier she had erected to protect the children. She could feel their eyes boring into her back, awed, but she had not the time to feel proud of herself. Her enemy was already recovered, rubbing his bruised chin as he spit out a tooth. "I've underestimated you, I see," he growled and swirled the sword in his hand, veins popping in his arms as he gripped it with unnecessary force fueled by pure outrage. "Don't think that you will land another blow on me."

"We'll see about that!" As before, Ayumi charged at him, and sparks blasted through the dank alleyway as their blades crashed together; the momentary flashes of light illuminated their faces each time the weapons clanged, revealing their expressions twisted by the anger that came in the heat of battle. Ayumi pranced about as the large man attempted to overpower her, barely managing to block and evade his blows. He took little care for the surroundings, carving deep rivers in the ground and knocking bricks out of the wall with his superhuman strength as his sword whipped about. Though she had possessed the advantage mere moments ago, Ayumi was now finding herself hard-pressed to keep up. It was all she could do to keep from being skewered; she couldn't even think about attacking again.

Suddenly, as Ayumi once again spun to avoid an attack, her foot slid through the loosened stone and caused her to lose her balance. In the few seconds she had, she desperately tried to right herself, to no avail, and fiery pain exploded in her abdomen as she received a booted foot to her middle. It felt like a shockwave blasted from the point of impact, rocking every bone in her body and sending her shooting backward like a comet. She landed roughly at the base of her barrier, her head smacking against the concrete and causing her vision to grow black for a brief moment. As she struggled to form a coherent thought, footsteps slowly approached, and abruptly she was wrenched up by her hair. Though it hurt like hell, she clamped her mouth shut, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of screaming. Every muscle in her body had clenched in reaction to the godawful pain screaming through her nerves, so all she could do was tremble as he held her up by her chestnut hair.

"Oh, you smell nice. Is that some kind of flower?" he crooned as he brought his face close to breathe in her scent, and she bit down hard on her lip, disgusted that the sanctity of her daffodil scent had been corrupted by his vile presence. He seemed to think he had won, the way he was grinning widely and mocking her. _Come on, Ayumi! Move!_ "You really are a pretty little thing. Someone will pay a pretty penny for you." _Move!_ "Now, let's see what those children look like." _**Move!**_

With an inhuman screech, her arm flew upward, catching him right across the face in a perpendicular fashion to his present scar. Blood splashed down onto her as it seemed like the gash exploded, coating her in the sticky red substance while the man wailed in agony and rage. His hand flew to his face, attempting to staunch the wound streaming with thick red blood, allowing Ayumi to rip herself free. She hopped back a few paces, watching guardedly as he stumbled back with eyes full of horror. "You… You _bitch! I'll_ _ **kill**_ _you for that!"_ he bellowed and tore his hand away, splashing blood all over the ground. His face now bore an X, one line of light pink and the other of dark red, courtesy of Ayumi. Like a bull who had gone on a rampage, he snatched up his sword and came charging at her, swinging blindly. Though an enraged opponent was normally easier to deal with, Ayumi found herself still on the losing side, dashing and jumping like an acrobat to avoid his murderous onslaught. Though the momentary respite, her body was still not yet equipped to deal with such a powerful opponent, and soon enough her legs locked up and left her the prime target for the enraged madman. " _Die!"_ he howled, and her eyes widened as the glinting blade slashed through the darkness. _I gotta move!_

A strangled scream spilled from her mouth as she somehow tipped herself backwards, and the blade cleaved through the air right where her throat had been only moments ago. Unbalanced, she wobbled precariously on unresponsive legs, and the man whipped out several kunai to fling them at her. These she could not avoid, but she managed to throw up her arms in a rudimentary defense of her vital areas; she gritted her teeth as they ripped into her arms and lower abdomen, stinging her like venomous snakes tearing into her flesh. Their momentum sent her sprawling once more at the base of the barrier, and one of her chakra blades went clattering from her hands to skitter over the ground and land at his feet. "In the end, you are nothing more than a pathetic woman after all," he growled, and the blade crunched beneath his foot as he stomped on it, cleaving it in two. His voice was calmer now, and he had seemingly come down from the murderous rage. "Now lay there and die, woman. You have been enough of a nuisance." He moved to approach, likely figuring her to be unconscious, but froze when she coughed and pushed herself up on shaky arms.

"No," she coughed, watching the blood run in rivers down her arms that were shaking violently. "I won't let you take my children." She clenched the remaining blade in her hands, pushing herself up onto her hands and knees. That alone took as much effort as she could muster, and despite her desire for bravado the tears still came, streaming down her cheeks to mix with the blood on her face. _It hurts. It hurts so much,_ she thought as her entire body seemed to scream in agony, so overburdened by the inferno of pain she was trapped in. _But I must stand._ Slowly, she staggered to her feet, lifting up the blade in a pathetic defense as she panted heavily. "You won't have these children while I live," she whispered.

"Damn woman! Why are you so stubborn?" he snapped at her, but made no move to approach. She wondered why that was, until suddenly it felt like the world rocked beneath her feet, and she fell onto her knees. _My body… It feels so heavy!_ She thought in panic as her arms fell to her sides, now feeling as if they were weighed down by leaded stone. Her vision began to swim before her, shifting like paint in water, a swirling image that shifted in and out of focus. "Did you forget?" His voice sounded far away on second and then right in her ear the next. "I am a poisons expert. You were dead the moment you let my blade pierce you!" His form was a dark blur, and in an instant it dominated her fading vision, and she could not know his leg was swinging towards her until it crashed into her face and sent her sprawling out across the rough ground. Blood splattered out of her mouth, casting red into the mass of blacks and browns that was her sight, and a shadow fell over her as he loomed before her. "It's fast-acting, but slow to kill you. It attacks the nervous system, throwing your senses and perception into dysfunction. Soon it will teach your nerves, and you will suffer like you have never suffered before, for about an hour, before organ failure brings you the death you will undoubtedly beg for. If you had just been an obedient woman, you could have lived through this, you know." All Ayumi could do was listen to his proud exposition, trembling like a spider clinging to its web in a torrential rainstorm. She was powerless, useless, _beaten._

"Miss Ayumi!" she heard Shikadai sob pathetically. She had landed facing the barrier, and through her milky vision she could discern him standing beyond the net of explosives. His little face focused in and out, but she could see the tears and snot streaming down like waterfalls as he cried. "Get up! Please! You can't die! I love you!" he bawled, throwing his head back and wailing to the sky with no regard for his classmates gathered around him. " _Please don't die! I love you! I love you!"_ he screamed over and over again.

"Pathetic brat," the man over her muttered. "He won't sell like that." He continued to grumble about the miserable child while also pondering aloud how to dismantle the barrier she had constructed, while Ayumi lay motionless on the ground, watching the boy she loved so deeply beg for her to rise. Something stirred in Ayumi's chest, an ember sparking in the ashes that was her courage, before igniting into a slow-burning flame. She squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating only on her will, and her body quaked as she tried to get her muscles to overcome the poison. _I can't die. I can't let him have my children. I can't leave Shikadai, not now, not when we've come so far… I have to live… For them…_

 _I want to live… I_ _ **want**_ _to_ _ **live…**_

 _Temari, please…! Give me the strength I need to kill this man! Give me the strength to bring them light once more…!_

She was not sure if it was in her own mind, or the dead woman herself blessed her with ungodly power, but suddenly the pain seemed to vanish and the weight upon her body with it. The blade clutched in her hand, she snapped her eyes open and lashed out at the blurry form in front of her, driving the blade deep into his upper thigh. As he screamed in rage and pain, she grabbed his other leg with her free hand, using the other to hold him firmly on place as she gathered all the chakra she could muster. She could feel the electricity crackling up and down her arm, but she held it in; she held it until it felt like her arm would explode from the sheer volume of chakra, before releasing it all at once. _Lighting-style! Electric Shockwave Jutsu!_ The chakra blasted out of her hand, and the sound that came from him could not be described in words. He writhed as he was electrocuted with countless amounts of energy, his entire body sparking with electricity before he was blasted back by the shockwave and sent crashing through the adjacent building. The force actually ripped the blade right out of his leg, leaving it bloody in Ayumi's hand. All she could see was the hazy form of the dust clouds, shifting in front of her like silent ghosts, and she prayed that she had bested him as she fought for her breath.

" _You bitch!"_ he shrieked from the dark, and the sound of his voice made her heart plummet to her stomach. His form emerged in the dust, and all she could see was a shapeless blob, but his words portrayed well enough the rage that must have been on his expression. "How is it that you can still move? My poison is perfect! No one can beat it! How can a woman like you, who isn't even a ninja, overcome such power?!" Through his crazed rant, Ayumi could not help but smile; in some way, she _had_ beaten him. "Where does your strength come from?!"

"Men can never understand," she sighed quietly. "Not men like you, at least. There is strength that is not physical, but of the mind, pure will that can overcome the weakness of the body," she explained, glancing down at herself. Though she could not see her own form, she knew her frailty, her weakness, that came from being a woman like herself.

"Cut the crap! You're telling me that you beat me on sheer will? It's ludicrous! Asinine! I won't believe it!" he screeched, madness seeping into his voice like a virus. "Tell me! Tell me the secret! Was it a drug? A food pill? I must know!" Suddenly he was upon her, grabbing her by the neck of her dress to lift her clear off the ground. All the strength was now gone from her, and her limbs hung limply; she even lost grip on the chakra blade, and it slipped from her fingers to clatter noisily to the ground. He shook her like a doll, demanding over and over for her to answer. It was a pitiful display, and she laughed.

"You fool. It's a strength you can never possess," she coughed. Her lungs had begun to burn, a smoldering sensation that was no doubt on account of the poison. She wished she could see the quizzical look on his face at her response, but all her eyes could perceive was that shifting canvas of colors. "The truest strength belongs to women, women of all lands, ninja or not. There is nothing stronger than the desire of a mother to protect her children!" she cried, cringing as the pain spread from her center to the rest of her body. It hurt. It felt like she was being submerged in lava, but she kept talking. She wanted him to _know_ her strength.

More importantly, if she was going to die, she wanted Shikadai to know how much she loved him.

"Shikadai isn't of my blood, but he is my son," she breathed, a smile forming on her lips as she imagined the plucky little boy in that haze, smiling as he held a bouquet of her daffodils. "He is my son, and that is why I am strong. For him, I will face any odds, I will face unimaginable torture, _I will look death in the eyes and not even flinch._ It is a strength that you can never touch," she growled, and she heard Shikadai erupt into another round of pleading and sobbing. In the mist she could see her enemy's face contort with rage. She heard the _shing_ of the blade slicing through the air, and could see its wavering form held aloft.

"You women are all the same. _She_ said something like that too, and _she_ ended up dead!" he shouted at her, shifting the blade to strike. "'I love my husband' this and 'You'll never break him' that! It makes me sick!" Ayumi's mind was beginning to swirl, and she was barely aware of what he was ranting about as she tilted her head back to look at the overcast sky. The mixture of grays shifted to brilliant hues of blue, and against that canvas the form of her beloved took shape.

"Shikamaru… I'll always love you," she whispered to that ghostly form, completely ignorant of the blade now slicing through the air, intent to cleave through her and end her life.

It never reached her.

The air sang with the rush of whirling wind as a sudden maelstrom ripped through the alleyway, wrenching the man away from Ayumi and carrying him down the half-destroyed passageway. Ayumi, no longer held by his iron grip, crumpled to the ground, but rather than landing on the hard, unforgiving surface, she dropped onto something soft and warm. She opened her unfocused eyes, struggling to discern her savor amongst the confusing swirling world. A soft smile, angular black eyes, black hair pulled back- she saw all these things in the muddled, ever-shifting landscape, and that was enough. "Shikamaru," she breathed as he laid her down gently on the ground with one arm. In his other, he had spread out a massive fan with three purple moons painted across the ripped fabric.

"I got here just in time. This was always Temari's thing, and I have no idea how to work it, but it was the only good idea I had in a split second," he joked, but his lighthearted tone was thick with relief and regret. "I'm so sorry you had to do this alone," he murmured, and she felt his hand glide across her cheek in a soothing motion. She was in so much pain, but that simple, loving gesture felt like aloe across her burning skin, spreading a welcome cooling relief for a brief moment. Though it hurt, she forced herself to speak. She had to say something, before she left the world forever.

"Shikamaru, I-"

"Quiet. Don't start with that shit. You don't die on me, you understand?" he barked, and the firmness in his tone shocked her. Something wet landed on her cheek, and the colors focused for a moment to pain a picture of the man she loved with tears brimming in his eyes while he wore an expression of hard stone. "I'm going to take care of this. Now you _promise_ me that you'll hold on." His mouth relaxed into a small smile. "Your daffodils… They haven't bloomed yet, right? You can't disappoint Shikadai," he murmured.

That simple reason carried all the realism unspoken.

"I promise," she choked out, forcing the last words she could muster before the pain tightened her throat and only left her with the power to breathe. She watched as his murky form stood and turned his back to her, slicing the metal edge of the fan across the ground before holding it up high. _Breathe. Breathe, Ayumi. You promised,_ she reminded herself continuously as the man she loved marched off to fight the battle she could not, and in that delirious fever of pure pain, she thought she saw a certain blonde-haired kunoichi take shape for the briefest of seconds.

 _Temari… Keep him safe._


	43. Chapter 42: One More Step

The air rang with a metallic _clang_ as Shikamaru slammed the metal edge of the fan down in front of Ayumi, using it as a makeshift barrier to separate her from the approaching battle. He couldn't rely on his deceased wife's signature weapon to aid him, as it required an enormous amount of chakra that he simply did not possess. _That one hit took a lot out of me,_ he grimaced and rolled his shoulders uncomfortably, already feeling a bit weak. Still, he had not the time to debate the issue; his enemy was already dragging himself to his feet, groaning as he bled profusely from a wound on the side of his head.

"Damn… I should have seen that coming," he mumbled as he glared acidly at the tall Jonin. The rage on his face was indescribable, a murderous portrait that would send a shiver through a lesser man.

Shikamaru no longer was that lesser man.

 _I can't lose this time,_ he thought, glancing over his shoulder to where Ayumi lay, fighting for her life; beyond that, his son was cowering behind a barrier constructed of explosive tags hung on strings, while a group of his classmates huddled around watching the battle with high anxiety. _I have a lot of people depending on me. It all comes down to this!_ "Are you really going to fight me, Shikamaru?" the man snarled as Shikamaru turned back and pulled out a pair of kunai to fall into an offensive stance.

"You bet your ass. I'm gonna finish this in five minutes!" he shouted, dashing toward him before he could even think of moving. As they collided, he immediately noticed that his enemy's reaction time was slow; he threw up his sword to defend against the attack at the last minute, and grunted with effort as Shikamaru bore down on him with all his strength. _Ayumi must have weakened him! I have a chance!_ He could not let her nearly fatal effort be wasted; he _had_ to win, no matter what.

Shikamaru sprang around him, attacking from all sides, vanishing one moment only to reappear in a different location with the kunai knives flashing in the low light. It was all his nemesis could do to fend him off and evade the blows, but Shikamaru had the upper hand; cuts appeared on his dark skin one by one, a thin slice across his cheek, another deep gash on his upper arm, a gushing laceration across his broad back. Shikamaru would not let up, he _could_ not; everything depended on his victory here, and that simple fact fueled the raging fire inside of him. Unfortunately, the man grew more and more enraged, and that rage brought raw strength.

" _Graaaaaagh!"_ he howled and slashed at him with the ninja sword with a sudden burst of surprising speed, and despite his best effort Shikamaru could not fully evade the attack; it ripped through his middle, slicing through the surface layer of skin and causing a blood of bright red blood to spread across the forest green of his ninja vest. _Damn! Is it coated in poison?_ He thought in mild panic as his hand flew to the bleeding wound. The fear must have shown on his expression, because the psychotic killer began laughing. "You don't have to worry. I told you- I'm going to strip everything from you, little by little, and watch you _suffer._ There's no sense in killing you yet," he grinned evilly. Shikamaru snorted, quickly calming his thoughts before pointless fears affected his battle performance. _At the very least, I can go at him without the need to avoid every blow,_ he thought wryly. It was hard to find a silver lining in such a grim situation. "Don't think that gives you an edge!" the man cried, taking advantage of Shikamaru's momentary thinking to spring on him. Gritting his teeth, Shikamaru blocked the incoming sword with his two kunai, and his arms quivered as they struggled to bear the weight of the man's bulk. He brought his face close, grinning madly as he breathed, "I'm gonna put you through so much hell that you'll _wish_ you were dead."

They sprang apart, their feet sliding over the half-destroyed ground as they landed, before springing at each other once more; they descended into the deadly waltz that was one-on-one combat, fluidly gliding across the ground as they came together and then split apart and then crashed together once more. Sparks danced along with them, leaping like ballet dancers across their shoulders and chests before diving to the ground and fizzling out, generated from the fierce collisions of their blades. Adrenaline coursed through Shikamaru's veins as he fought hard, for his honor, for his freedom, and most importantly for the lives of those he held dearest to him. He could not feel the cuts appearing on his skin; he was solely focused on the fight, on his desperate need for victory.

 _I have to win, and fast! Ayumi is running out of time!_ This thought added gasoline to the blazing inferno that was his rage, and he roared as he pressed on the offensive, viciously hacking and slashing with the kunai. The man began to stumble back as Shikamaru bore down on him like some sort of violent demon, and he just repeated the words in his mind like a mantra. _I have to win! I have to win!_ _ **I have to win!**_

Suddenly, the man jumped away, landing several yards away and panting heavily as he bled from dozens of surface cuts. As Shikamaru relaxed, coming down from the murderous high, he found that his own body was stinging with equal wounds, and his breath was ragged. _I can't keep this up much longer. It's now or never!_ Shikamaru had never been a brawler, since his specialty was long-distance tactics and diversions in combination with other fighters, but he was alone in this.

He _alone_ had to kill this man, and end the nightmare that had plagued him since that fateful mission three years ago.

The man moved to run, but cried out blood gushed from his leg and prevented him from moving. It was like a divine sign to Shikamaru, and he wouldn't squander the opportunity; flipping the kunai around in his hand, Shikamaru charged across the alleyway, reaching his defenseless enemy in a matter of milliseconds.

"This is for scaring my son!" he shouted as he whipped his arm in an upward arc, slicing through his abdomen from his hip to his shoulder. "This is for attacking my village!" He brought the other knife straight across, cutting through his arm as he pathetically attempted to shield himself. Shikamaru's vision was turning red, both with the enormous amount of blood splashing all over him and the red fog of pure rage. "This is for attacking Ayumi!" He cut through his thigh, deep enough to puncture the artery, and forced him down on one knee. "This is for all the hell you've put me through!" Another vicious slice ripped across his upper chest. " _And this is for killing my wife, you unforgivable_ _ **bastard!"**_ he shrieked, crossing his arms before sending both the kunai knives directly across his throat. Blood exploded from his thick neck as Shikamaru cut through his windpipe and jugular, and he relished the sound of the man he hated so much gurgling as blood flooded into his lungs. Shikamaru stood over him, gasping for breath, his muscles tensed from the sheer strength he had exhibited in the forceful blows. _Die. Die, and be sent to the deepest pit of Hell were you belong._

He was so busy basking in his triumph that he didn't even see him move.

Fiery pain burst in his abdomen as the kunai plunged into him, digging into his body right up to the handle. All he could do was release a strangled gasp as he stumbled back, while his enemy grinned madly with his final "screw you, asshole," before his eyes rolled back into his hand and he fell to the side, blood pooling around him as it poured thickly from the lacerations criss-crossing his body. Shikamaru groaned as he wrapped a trembling hand around the weapon lodged in his abdomen, knowing better than to remove it and commit himself to certain death. The wound burned, much more than it ought to, and he knee for a fact that it was coated in the malignant poison that had rendered Ayumi motionless. "Damn," he mumbled, strangely calm as he was essentially presented with his own death certificate.

"Shikamaru!" a voice called down to him, and he glanced up to see Shino hopping across the half-collapsed roof of the adjacent building before hopping down to land lightly beside the man's dead body. He glanced around, his dark shades drinking in the battle-torn scene, and a scowl slowly formed on his thin lips. "Damn it… I should have come sooner." Even with his eyes masked, the guilt was clear on his face as he walked over to where Ayumi lay and kneeled down beside her, his fingers pressed against her neck to search for a pulse. "She's alive, but barely. I'll-"

"Get the children out of here," Shikamari grunted as he limped over to him, holding one hand to the wound in his stomach that was slowly leaking blood while the other wrapped around the handle of the massive fan. With much effort and even more pain, he jerked it out of the ground and folded it back, tucking it under his arm before looking down at his beloved. She had lost consciousness, but her face was screwed up in unimaginable pain, and every few seconds she whimpered or cried out loudly. Her body was shaking violently, and her mouth was agape as she breathed desperately. _She won't make it if I don't act fast… And neither will I._

"Shikamaru! You're in no shape to do anything," Shino argued, but he wasn't having it. Ignoring his angry objections, Shikamaru fell down to his knee and slowly pulled Ayumi onto his back, squeezing one eyes shut and clenching his teeth as every movement sent snakes of pain slithering through his nerves. Pulling a coil of rope from his pouch, her tied her around his middle and then grabbed the metal fan, situating in beneath her to bear her weight for him. His leg muscles tensed in protest as he forced himself to stand, and he wobbled unsteadily for a moment before he managed to right himself. "I can't fight like this. Their leader is dead, but his army is still out there wreaking havoc. Ayumi was willing to give her life to protect the children; I'm not about to just let someone take them. I need you to do this for me, Shino," he insisted. The bug-commanding Jonin frowned deeply up at him, considering his request, before he nodded sagely in consent.

"Daddy!" Shikadai wailed, cutting off the gratitude he was about to express, and he lifted his head to see his son attempting to find a large enough hole in the explosive barrier to wriggle through. "I want to come with you! Please!" he sobbed. In that moment, he was nothing but a little boy, horrified by the things he had witnessed in too short a life. _He lost his mother, and now he's sure he'll lose the one he has come to see as one…_ Shikamaru adjusted Ayumi in a position that he could best bear her body before approaching the barrier, limping over the uneven ground and swaying back and forth. He could feel the poison acting faster with every passing second; his vision was beginning to swirl, like slowly-moving water currents. When he stopped in front of the barrier, Shikadai looked up at him, crying so hard that he could hardly breathe. "M-miss A-A-Ayumi is g-g-gonna d-die, isn't sh-she?" he howled, his little dirty hands rubbing his eyes as he tried to stop the flowing tears. "Sh-she can't…! I l-l-love h-her s-so m-m-much, D-daddy! I w-want to s-see the d-daf-f-fodils b-bloom w-with h-her, and I w-want t-to h-h-have c-cookies and m-m-milk w-with her again, and st-stay at her h-house, and-and-!" he stopped short, crying so frantically that he could no longer speak. The sound of his high-pitched, anguished wailing broke his heart into a thousands pieces, and tears began to roll down _his_ cheeks too.

"I won't let her die," he vowed quietly. At his heavy promise, his son looked up at him, and once more he was stricken by those blue eyes that looked so much like his mother's. _I can't fail him again._ "I won't. Now dry your tears. You need to be brave for Miss Ayumi now." Shikadai nodded vigorously, and his sobs quieted as he tried to reign in his emotions. Shikamaru breathed in shakily before pushing Ayumi further up on his back, holding onto the fan tightly as he turned his back on his son. He had won that battle.

The war was before him.

Teeth clenched as pain washed over his body in unrelenting waves, he left Shino to tend to his son and his friends while he staggered out of the alleyway, out onto the main road where the battle continued to rage. His wound was pulsing, as if it had it's own heartbeat, and blood dribbled down his middle and ran down his leg, dropping onto the sandy ground with every labored step. The pain was ungodly, but the sound of Ayumi breathing weakly in his ear pushed him through it. _I have to keep going. She depends on me._ Step by step, he dragged himself down the main road, his destination the Konoha Hospital in the mere distance. It was so close that he could see the building rising over the others, but yet it was so far away… After only a couple of yards, his right knee gave out on him, forcing him down and causing a shockwave of pain to rock through his body as the knive inside him shifted and ripped through more tissue. "Unnngh!" Though he tried, he simply could not get his body to respond, and his vision continued to haze as he sat in the middle of the road hunched over with the unconscious woman on his back.

"Giving up already?" Shikamaru's body went cold at the light-hearted, mocking voice, and somehow he managed to lift his head. Standing a few feet away, a radiant angel against the bloody backdrop of smoking buildings and rubble, was his wife, looking as she had just strolled out into the street without a care in the world. She wasn't bloody and disheveled as when he had last saw her, but beautiful, as pure as she had been on their wedding day. All he could do was gape in shock, wondering if he was hallucinating on account of the poison wreaking havoc on his system; as if she had read his mind, she laughed, and it was so _beautiful,_ like the tinkling of the sweetest bells. "That isn't like you. You're normally so stubborn," she mused with that same smirk she had always worn, that smug look that prayed her sheer confidence.

"Am I dead?" he whispered.

"No, my love. Not yet, at least." She approached him, her feet making no sound as they shuffled across the sand, and kneeled down in front of him to raise her hand and slide it across his cheek. Whatever she was, a hallucination or a spirit, it mattered not, because he _felt_ the warmth of her hand, blooming across his clammy skin.

"I can't," he choked out as the tears poured from his eyes. It was so much, seeing her now, having the woman he loved dying right before him, knowing that there was _no_ chance he could make it to help in time. It _broke_ him, filling him with hopelessness and despair that he had not felt since the night he had held his dead wife in his arms and wailed to the stars.

"You can." She was smiling warmly at him, those crystal-blue eyes filled with so much love. "You are so strong, my love. She needs that strength now," she told him gently and cast her gaze to the trembling woman. "Now stand up," she commanded, her voice taking that hard edge he had heard so many times. His body seemed like it moved on its own as he slowly pushed himself up to his feet, his eyes trained on that beautiful face of hers. "Now, take a step." He did, and she stepped backwards, matching his move. "Another. Now another." At each prompting of her voice, his body followed her orders, and thus Shikamaru strode slowly through the battlefield. He was completely oblivious to the chaos around him, the ninja colliding overhead as the engaged in fierce combat, the explosions causing the ground to quake beneath his feet, the smoke choking the air as fires blazed around him on the left and right; all he knew was Temari, guiding him through the wreckage, and Ayumi, shaking on his back as he delivered her to salvation. Soon he couldn't even really see Temari anymore, just snatches if her features amongst the confusing blend of red and brown and black- her blonde hair tied in four pigtails, her milky white skin, the clear blue eyes that he had always loved so much. Her voice kept echoing in his head, though he could barely hear it anymore.

 _One more step._

His legs felt like they were cast in iron as he dragged them across the ground, one after the other, one after the other, but he kept on going despite the fact that he was so exhausted.

 _One more step._

Ayumi was growing heavier by the minute, weighing him down as his arms struggled to hold her, but he forced them to.

 _One more step._

His lungs felt like they were burning, he could barely breathe, and all could hear besides Temari's clear voice in his mind was his own labored breathing.

 _One more step._

The wound hurt most of all, like a firebrand was plunged into his body and searing his insides; every throb felt like a punch to his gut, and he was beginning to grow woozy from the amount of blood that had leaked out of him, but _he kept going._

"One more step," he gasped as he stumbled, and he feared that if he paused to right himself he would never keep going. His teeth clenched so tight that they might shatter, he dragged himself across the sand, wheezing. "One more step!"

"You're almost there," Temari encouraged him gently, and in the blackening landscape that was his vision he could see her standing in front of the double glass doors of the hospital, a smile on her lips. "You can do it, Shikamaru."

"One more… step…" he groaned to himself and dragged himself forward some more. _She needs me. Shikadai needs a mother. I… need… her…_ "One… m-more…" Was he there yet? Had he moved at all? Everything was so hazy, and his mind was beginning to feel weighed down, too, descending into a murky swamp. "One….. more…"

"You're so close." Was she whispering in his ear? Was she in front of him? He couldn't see anything anymore, and all he could feel was the blinding pain and Ayumi's heartbeat weakly thumping against his back. All of his will was bent to just moving forward, not even sure of where he was really going anymore. He felt his strength plummeting, and he threw back his head with a desperate cry.

" _One more step…!"_ he gasped, and then his legs crumpled beneath him and he fell forward, collapsing right on his face. Ayumi slumped off of him and landed beside him, but he couldn't see her because everything was white, pure white. Everything sounded so far away, but he thought he heard Sakura in that fuzzy noise, barking orders, and the flash of her pink hair against the painful white backdrop.

"You did it," Temari whispered, her breath tickling his ear, and he felt her lips gently brush against his cheek. Something wet landed on his cheek, and as he began to lose consciousness he glanced put of her peripheral vision to see her smiling down at him with tears in those pretty eyes like the purest crystal. "Take care of them, you understand? I know it's a drag, but that's your job."

"Temari…" Her name slipped out of his mouth even as the blackness washed over him, and he saw and heard no more…


	44. Chapter 43: Aftermath

_-Eight Years Later-_

Shikamaru inhaled deeply, causing the vapors of his cigarette to fill his mouth and lungs, before exhaling and sending a plume of smoke drifting into the warm spring air. The tendrils wafted up his face, gently brushing his skin with smoky little arms, before vanishing above his head. His eyes were not on the smoke, however, but cast down at the smooth grey headstone before him that was carved with the name of the woman that he had once loved.

"Shikadai finally made Genin today. He was paired with Inojin and Chocho, naturally. The Ino-Shika-Cho formation in its seventeenth generation… I wonder how Moegi will deal with them," he murmured, chewing the end of the cigarette thoughtfully in his teeth as he pondered the recent happenings to relate to the cold stone. "Boruto ended up with Sarada, of course. The Uchiha blood is strong in her, and she has her mother's ungodly strength. I just hope she didn't inherit Sasuke's insufferable attitude like Borjto inherited _his_ father's blatant stupidity," he chuckled under his breath. "Metal Lee has stage fright, apparently. Who would have thought, when his father was always so willing to show his stuff? I wonder where he got that from." As he spoke of the various children, a soft smile was on his face. He knew she would have loved to see how they all had grown, how they had taken after their parents so much and yet still had quirks and gifts of their own.

"Ino's flower shop is blooming- no pun intended. She and Sai work hard to keep it going. It always made me wonder how she managed to feel him in, with that abrasive personality of hers. I guess there's merit to the phrase 'opposites attract.' Naruto is incorrigible, as always. Not a day goes by that I don't catch him shirking his work and trying to sneak off to get ramen. I swear, being his advisor is such a drag; but, when he does sit down and do his job, he makes a great Hokage. Sakura still works at the hospital, doing her thing. Who would have thought she would be such a medical genius? She was such a weak girl back in the day. Still, I have her to thank for saving my ass," he continued. As he spoke of the highly esteemed medical ninja, he automatically glanced down at his middle, where a scar hid beneath the fabric. The ghost of his old wound burned as he thought about it, and he could still see the handle of the kunai sticking out of him, the area around it slowly turning red with his blood. A gentle breeze rustled across the cemetery, carrying the vision away as quickly as it had come. "Speaking of, Sasuke is still wandering around the world somewhere. He has his reasons, but he could at least come home every once in a while." He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth to flick a few of the ashes into the lush green grass.

"What else? There's nothing, really. It's been peaceful…" He cast his gaze to the brilliant blue sky above, where clouds sailed across the expanse like massive, fluffy ships. Though some people would find peace boring or unfulfilling, Shikamaru was glad to have it; even eight years later, that day had left its scars on this place, and the people, too. _It's a hard-won peace._ Drawn out of his reflection, he looked back down at the stone before dropping the cigarette and crushing it underfoot, smoke drifting out from beneath his sandals. "That's all for today. I'll come see you again soon. I'll bring Shikadai next time, so that he can tell you all about his training. I'm sure he'll have a lot to talk about," he smiled softly as he ran a hand across the top of the headstone. He crouched down to make sure the daffodils in the vase were still fresh before clapping his hands against his thighs and standing, grunting as his body creaked in protest. _Man, I'm getting old. Can I retire?_

Hands in the pockets of his long coat, Shikamaru strode out of the cemetery and out onto the main road. In eight years, the city had changed a lot, and yet not at all; the buildings had grown taller, towering over the village in glass and steel brilliance. It had expanded, too, spreading above the Hokage Faces in an ever-growing mass. The air often rang with the sound of a train's horn, rolling on a system of tracks and pouring thick black smoke into the air. Yet, despite all this expansion and modernism, the village still stayed true to its name. Vast sections of forests still dotted the city, serving as training grounds for the next generation of ninja and veterans of war alike. As he strode down the road, the green leaves of trees wedged between housed and shops shook in the wind, filling the air with the sound that marked his home. Perhaps because he was an old man now, he loved that sound, and every time it heard him it just solidified that aura of _peace._

The village had grown more populated, too. The main road was always crowded with people, ninja on their off time enjoying themselves or perusing various shop wares; young children racing through the backstreets as they played various games, their laughter mingling with the din of everyday conversation; old men day-drinking in cafés as they reminisced of wartimes over a game of shogi; young families enjoying the simple happiness that came with each other's presences. Shikamaru at one time had found it annoying, being surrounding by a noisy crowd, but nowadays he was grateful for it. It meant that everyone was happy, and they were happy because they were at peace.

Still, the scars were there, if you looked hard enough. Here and there sat the shell of a burned-out building, rotting away with no one to claim it, or one that had collapsed and never been repaired. The cemetery had added quite the list of names after the attack, mainly those on duty who had given their lives to protect the civilians. It had been a battle hard-fought, and the village had not come out unscathed.

Shikamaru included.

He bore physical scars, and mental ones as well. Though his enemy was now safely six feet under and would never terrorize anyone ever again, the nightmares still surfaced now and then. Shikadai, too, was haunted by the experience, and even though he was now twelve, the young boy sometimes reverted to a scared five-year-old and crawled into his father's bed in the dark of night as the terrifying past crept in the shadows. They could never forget the man with the scar, who had taken so much from them and put them through so much misery simply on account of a decades-old grudge.

"Look at me, getting all nostalgic," he sighed to himself, finding that he was quite tired as he reveled in the distant past. He ran his hand over his face, finding with disappointment that a wrinkle had appeared in his forehead, and then lifted his head to find that his feet had carried him home despite the fact that his mind was wandering. Shikadai was stretched out on his belly on the porch, kicking his legs back and forth as he focused intently on a handheld video game. Shikamaru pushed the gate open, strolling down the path leading to the house, and causing his son to glance up.

"Hey, Dad. You're home from work a little late. It's nearly sunset," he remarked casually. Indeed, the sky was beginning to be painted gold and red as the sun dove toward the horizon.

"I was at the cemetery," he explained as be tilted his head to the side and rubbed his neck, trying to loosen the muscle that had spontaneously tensed. _Ugh. I work too hard. What a drag._ "How was your first day as a Genin?"

"A drag. Moegi-sensei works us like a slave-driver." Shikamaru could not help but chuckle under his breath, recalling that he had thought of Asuma the same way. _Turns out I needed it._ "Hey, Dad. How about a round of shogi?" his son asked as he powered down his video game and sat up, those clear blue eyes that were so like him mother's gazing up at him intensely. As he had grown older, Shikamaru had found that he made similar expressions as she did, too. Though everyone claimed that Shikadai was his father's son, he could not help but see so much of Temari within him. He spent so long thinking about the uncanny similarity that Shikadai's expression morphed into one of confusion. "Yo, Dad? Are you listening? You aren't going senile, are you?"

"Of course not," he snorted with derision once he was pulled out of his thoughts, and he strode over to shove him lightly in the head. "You should be more respectful of your elders. Don't talk to me like that." Shikadai whined as his head was forcefully ducked, and he punched at Shikamaru's arm with a scowl.

"Shut up, old man! Are you gonna play or not?"

"Yeah, yeah. Set up the board," he responded gruffly, and Shikadai muttered something about him being lazy before rising to his feet and pulling open the sliding door to descend into the house. With a long sigh, Shikamaru laid back on the porch where his son had just been lounging and rested his hands behind his head, staring up at the sky to watched the clouds be cast in hues of gold, orange, pink, and red as the sun melted behind the skyline. He had never abandoned his cloud-watching habit, even now that he was an older man; sometimes he still wished that he was one, just drifting along without a care in the world.

Still, he had a lot of reason to stick around, too. He pulled his gaze from the heavens to ground himself back in the world, and the first thing that his eyes landed on was the rich flower garden that sprawled along the fence line, with a large patch of daffodils the brilliant centerpiece. As the smile formed on his mouth, the furious pitter-patter of little feet disrupted his peaceful introspection, and he turned his head just as a chubby little girl came charging out of the house and launched herself into the air.

"Daddy!" she squealed with delight as she landed roughly on top of him, and he felt the breath forcefully exit his lungs as she dropped onto his stomach. She just laughed happily, completely unaware of her own force, with joy blazing in the rich hazel of her big, friendly eyes. "You're home! I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Kikyo," he wheezed and reached up to gently ruffle her wave of chestnut hair, framing her chubby face.

If Shikadai was his father's son, then Kikyo was her mother's daughter.

"I was wondering when you would be home," mused a gentle voice from the doorway, and he looked up to see his wife leaning against the doorjamb with her slim arms crossed and a loving smile on her beautiful face. Her chestnut hair, the same shade as their daughters, had grown longer in the eight years they had spent together, now failing about her waist in rich waves that caught the light of the fading sun. She hadn't abandoned her habit of wearing dresses, and had chosen a simple yellow one today; tied around it was a pure white cooking apron. As Kikyo continued began poking her father's face demanding attention, Shikamaru was mystified by the radiant woman who had appeared before him.

Even after all this time, he just simply couldn't believe how lucky he was.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Ayumi laughed as she stepped down and kneeled down beside him, tucking the fabric of her dress beneath her legs as she continued to smile warmly down at him.

"You're beautiful," he responded honestly. Ayumi's cheeks reddened. Even though they were married now, she still flushed so easily. He found it so cute. Before he could say more, Kikyo flopped forward, whining loudly as she further demanded her father to pay attention to her, and her chestnut hair flopped into his mouth. "Pfft! Kikyo!" he laughed and he spat out the small, baby-fine hairs from his mouth before slipping his hands underneath her arms and holding her up. She squealed with glee as he lightly tossed her up and down a few times before letting her drop down into his arms and hugging her tightly.

"Daddy! I can't breaf!" she cried, her voice muffled by the fabric of his clothing.

"I'm sorry," he laughed and loosened his grip, allowing the little girl to sit up. Her little chestnuts hair were now sticking up in various places, and the radiant smile on her face made her the perfect picture of a happy daughter. It was at this time that Shikadai came out of the depths of the house with the board game, and she crawled off of her father to totter over to her held brother and watch curiously as he say down and began to assemble the pieces.

"Can I play?" Kikyo crouched down to pick up one of the square tiles, her big, curious eyes inspecting the seemingly insignificant piece. Shikadai lightly but firmly plucked it from her hand and returned it to the board.

"You're only three, Kikyo. You can't play yet. But why don't you sit in my lap and help me?" he suggested, smiling gently at her. The little girl found this agreeable enough and clambered into her elder brother's lap, wriggling about to get herself comfortable before continuing to watch with wonder as he meticulously set up the game board.

"And you were worried he wouldn't be patient with her," Ayumi mused quietly into his ear, making him smirk. It was heartwarming to see his son doting on his daughter. Sibling relationships could be rocky, but thankfully the two were close. With a grunt, Shikamaru pulled himself into a sitting position when Shikadai announced that the setup was complete, and took his position across from his son. Ayumi settled down beside him, pressed against him as she slid an arm around his middle and laid her head on his shoulder. Though he had the first move, he for once found that he could not focus on the game; instead, all he could think about was his wonderful family and how blessed he was to have them. Smiling wryly, he glanced into the open door of the house, where he had a clear view of the sleek black fan mounted above the mantle of their fireplace.

 _I couldn't have done it without you,_ he thought, and then looked back at the board to make the first move.

 _Can you see us now, Temari?_

 _ **~End~**_

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Hello, everyone! Can you believe it? We've made it to the end! I just wanted to thank all my devoted readers for following me along in this wonderful story; I couldn't have done it without all the love and support! This marks the end of Ayumi and Shikamaru's tale, so I encourage you guys to check out various other projects I have going!_

 _Can't get enough of this loveable family? Head on over to_ _ **The Cuddle Corner,**_ _my oneshot collection, and make a request! If there are other pairings that you guys are interested in as well, I'm usually happy to oblige! I love writing for people and am always looking for ideas and prompts!_

 _Looking for a longer piece? I have several projects that may interest you!_

 _ **A Dream Unbroken:**_ _Set in a modern universe, this story follows the love story between an up-and-coming boxer Naruto Uzumaki and aspiring singer Yume Utabi. As they navigate the shaky road that is young love, will old secrets be the undoing of their budding relationship?_

 _ **Talk About Chemistry!:**_ _Set in a high school universe, beautiful cheerleader Ren is suddenly chemistry partners with the boisterous Rock Lee in her senior year of high school. As the decisive year of their lives proceed, will unexpected feelings form between the two young people, who couldn't be any more different?_

 _Again, I want to thank everyone who set out on this journey with me, as well as those that are just now stumbling across this wonderful love story. Thank you all, and I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed my work!_


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